Page "Nick Adams (actor)" Paragraph 35

Decades later, Adams ' highly publicized life and death at a young age and his friendships with cultural icons such as James Dean and Elvis Presley along with his reported drug consumption made his private life the subject of many reports and assertions by some writers who have claimed Adams may have been gay or bisexual and may have had intimate relationships with both Dean and Presley.

One of the earliest published mentions on this overall topic was made by gossip columnist Rona Barrett in her 1974 autobiography, in which she made no assertion Adams was homosexual or bisexual but claimed Adams had told her, along with a " whole roomful of people -- that he wasn't making it because no one in Hollywood's upper stratosphere would accept his wife.

" Barrett wrote, " This was untrue.

She was one of the most refreshing wives in the entire community ", and went on to say Adams " had become the companion to a group of salacious homosexuals " who flattered the actor, which affected his judgment and caused him to blame Carol.

Hollywood biographer Lawrence J. Quirk claimed Mike Connolly ( a gay gossip columnist for the Hollywood Reporter from 1951 to 1966 ) " would put the make on the most prominent young actors, including Robert Francis, Guy Madison, Anthony Perkins, Nick Adams, and James Dean.

" According to American Film ( 1986 ), " Nick Adams, who was ... gay, was the butt of anti-gay humor in Pillow Talk.

In a recent book, William Dakota, who worked as Adams's fan-mail secretary for some time, confirms that Adams was homosexual.