Patti LaBelle’s team are reportedly “angry and heartbroken” after CNN’s documentary on the late Luther Vandross allegedly portrays her as a villain for speaking about his sexuality and seemingly outing him as “gay.”
LaBelle, 80, and Vandross were close friends for decades, with LaBelle even helping care for him after his stroke until his death in 2005 at age 54. However, before the documentary aired, sources close to LaBelle expressed concern over her negative portrayal. It’s claimed that she was depicted as someone who publicly gossiped about Vandross’ private sexuality, despite his desire to keep it out of the public eye.
LaBelle reportedly invited the documentary producers to her home for an interview, but they did not include her segment after she declined to sign release forms, citing a lack of access to the final cut. Instead, the documentary included a 2017 clip of LaBelle from Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, where she seemingly confirmed longstanding rumors about Vandross’ sexuality. This, according to sources, painted her in a negative light.
The timing of her comments, following those made by Vandross’ songwriting partner Richard Marx about friends discussing his personal life, further fueled the tension.
Vandross, who had expressed his desire to keep his personal life private, had previously told the public that his sexuality was “none of their business.”
LaBelle has been busy touring and hasn’t yet seen the documentary, but her camp is reportedly displeased with how she was portrayed.
