The Real Friends Of WeHo is trying to deliver big drama in its freshman season! And they’re teasing this season with a routine “coming out” story, as cast member Curtis Hamilton has decided to officially come out as a gay man.
Hamilton, 37, is one of the main characters of the heavily criticized MTV reality show that takes a gay spin on Bravo’s wildly successful Housewives franchise. Hamilton, known for his roles on Insecure and Kings of Napa — who was born in Italy and raised in Kentucky, had an intimate moment with fellow cast member Dorion Renaud that was filmed for the show.
He revealed to Renaud that he was scared of officially coming out because of his career, public criticism and backlash from his family. He confides in Renaud (and to all of MTV’s viewers), that he’s “scared as fu*k.”
Hamilton spoke with TV Insider, stating that the process was really “scary”:
“I was super scared [to come out],” the actor tells us. “I hadn’t told people in close proximity in my life [about his sexuality]. One of my best friends found out on Twitter and was pissed. He just felt so bad that I didn’t tell him, but that’s just the life I’ve been living. For me to go on a reality show and open up to the world with something I’ve just been telling the people that know me the most about, it was really scary. But I just felt it was time. I’m still scared.”
-Curtis Hamilton to TV Insider
Despite this touching teaser, The Real Friends of WeHo continues to receive heavy criticism. While there are some that are excited about tuning into the new reality show, many members that are LGBTQ+ identifying are boycotting the series for a plethora of reasons.
What Todrick Hall doesn’t understand, is #RealFriendsOfWeHo isn’t LGBTQ+ at all. There’s not ONE lesbian or trans person on the cast. It’s just about a bunch of rich, classist, cis gay men. That does not speak to our community as a whole, so why are you upset we don’t support?
— Chef Myka Yaro (@ChefYaro) January 22, 2023
Low key this should have been the first trailer. They fucked themselves up from jump showcasing coondrick https://t.co/GYaLU8e90y
— Sheree’s Stolen Joggers (@richyrich323) January 22, 2023
Me logging into IMDB for the first time in ten years to rate #RealFriendsOfWeHo a 1. pic.twitter.com/9ojmIelwkT
— Eduardo C Fonseca (@eduardocafo) January 21, 2023
https://twitter.com/thereidfeed/status/1616512913497522176?s=20
How #Weho feels about #RealFriendsOfWeHo… 🫠 pic.twitter.com/sJxIKLIm3Q
— Biqtch Puddin’ (@BiqtchPuddin) January 7, 2023
I’m so glad that @MTV has created a space for vapid gay men that create toxic gay culture and unhealthy body standards through #RealFriendsOfWeHo. This is the visibility that the gay community has been seeking to show the world that we aren’t just stereotypes and cliches. 💛
— Keith Norris (@norrisrk) January 21, 2023
Chile…I don’t know these people.
— Dorion Renaud (@DorionRenaud) January 5, 2023
I wanna read a deep-dive about how Real Friends of WeHo made it on air. It was obviously green-lit from so high up that no one felt safe voicing their opinions. Doesn't fit @mtv reality brand (young, messy unknowns). Doesn't fit Housewives brand, which started in OC. What's 🫖?
— Craig Seymour, Black Gay Music Critic (@craigspoplife) January 21, 2023
MTV shortening #dragrace and moving Untucked to try and get people to watch #RealFriendsOfWeHo has big “U2 putting their album on every iPhone” energy.
— Corey Quintaine (@Quintaine) January 17, 2023
Watching #RealFriendsofWeHo (giving it a chance) and I’m not going to lie, I expected Todrick to take a little bit of ownership of how he got the reputation he has. However, he called it a witch hunt and I can’t support this rewriting of the narrative.
— I Am Not Your Oreo (@ceejnsight) January 22, 2023
“I want the queer community to have a conversation about why it is that we will praise women when they are in a similar position … I hope our show will break that mold and create a conversation about why it is there is negativity from within our own community.”
— Todrick Hall pic.twitter.com/PdeyIUrOQw
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) January 21, 2023
What’s your take on The Real Friends of WeHo? Is it a desperate attempt of LGBTQ+ inclusion or will you be watching in support of the new show and its gay stars?
Source: Gaye Magazine , TV Insider
Congratulations, welcome to the big gay family.