Do people not have anything better to do than harass a pop singer’s teenage child?
Former boy bander Duncan James, of the UK group Blue, told The Sun that his daughter Tianie, like a lot of 16-year-olds, is at an age where she’s totally into her phone and being active on social media.
But James wasn’t expecting his daughter to get trolled by haters about her famous dad being gay. “People can be quite nasty about me being gay and say quite horrible things about the fact that I’m a gay dad,” said James.
The 42-year-old singer and actor says Tianie has received messages like, “Isn’t it disgusting your dad’s gay? How do you feel?”
WTH?
“‘You must be ashamed of him,’ and stuff like that, and you’re just like ‘Why are you writing to a kid saying awful stuff like that? Are you really crazy?’ People are just awful.”
James, who came out in 2009, admits he’s had his share of online haters over the years.
“I’ve had quite a lot of people from other countries writing to me in disbelief that I’m gay, saying I’m going to burn in hell, it’s a sin and I’m going to be punished by God,” he shared with The Sun.
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James was recently in UK headlines for a happier reason as he and his boyfriend of two years, Rodrigo Reis, made their TV debut as a couple in February on the popular talk show Loose Women.
The couple explained they met in Reis’s home country of Brazil at an afterparty following a Blue concert. James admits to being smitten with Reis on the spot saying, “I saw him across the bar – he’s very much my type. I was like, ‘Oh, he’s hot.’”
But Reis told the TV viewers he had no idea who James was.
“In Brazil, where I’m from, they [Blue] are not so famous,” shared Reis. “But I knew this guy had to be mine.”
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And two years later, James says life is working out great.
“He’s met my daughter and they really get on, so it’s just fantastic,” said James. “I didn’t identify as gay for many years because of my issues with coming out, but finally I’m happy in my skin and this guy makes me proud to be gay.”
Duncan and his Blue bandmates had a string of hits in the 2000s including this cover of Elton John’s “Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word” which went to number one in the UK. After their last album had disappointing sales, the group was dropped by its label.
The guys don’t plan on releasing new music but do continue to tour (when…there’s not a pandemic happening). Duncan went on to develop a successful career as an actor onstage and television including starring in the West End hit musical, Chicago.
