"Not Gay!"...For Pay?

Inside In Touch (December 3, 2007), infamous private dick (whose dick used to be quite public) Paul Barresi says he was hired by offered Andrew Morton to vet the results of his own independent investigation into Tom Cruise's sexuality in advance of the publication of Morton's bio of the star. Surprise! He thinks Tom's straight:

"Everything I've found, and everything I know, points to Tom being heterosexual...I believe the rumors about Tom being gay come from his detractors—most of whom are former Scientologists. Tom is the most famous Scientologist. Therefore, he is the biggest target."

Okay, and John Travolta is the second most famous Scientologist...are his gay rumors also explained away by that?

And why is In Touch not revealing that Barresi is the man who said he had a passionate affair with Travolta, outing him on the cover of The National Enquirer? That is a very interesting connection to this story that they seem to be consciously leaving "out," so to speak.

Mr. Cruise.

Tom may well be straight, but I think this article is further fatally flawed by not disclosing that Barresi has a complex connection to Tom Cruise that goes far beyond recently looking into his sexuality as a freelancer—he was mixed up in the notorious "Big Red" claims regarding Cruise.

If anyone is in a good position to know or have credible guesses regarding Cruise's sexual proclivities outside the people Tom has personally Top Gunned, it's Barresi. However, Barresi does not strike me as someone who would tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth if money were involved. (Note: In the comments below, Barresi denies being paid for the In Touch feature.) In retrospect, perhaps Morton should have worked with Barresi, but also worked with someone who is not already a part of the Tom Cruise story.

Who knows? Maybe the real reason people gossip that the superstar is gay is because he's a pretty-boy actor whose last name is Cruise, and like other urban legends—gerbil-popping, semen-filled stomach pumps, Bill Gates donating a penny every time you forward that e-mail—it lives on thanks to our stubborn refusal to admit we were wrong. Or it could live on for another reason entirely.

But Barresi alone—in spite of In Touch's claims—can not be said to have 'answered Hollywood's biggest rumor.'

UPDATE: Mr. Barresi has replied in the comments section. Please note his objections in that section and also here before proceeding to the links:

"It was Pellicano who claimed Red's story checked out. My investigation proved to the contrary. The New York Times reported that Pellicano and I had differences of opinion about Red. This will be clear in final draft of my book. Red was grilled more than one time. He was believable the first time, but told a different story each time he recounted his alleged meet with Cruise. Fact is, Cruise was not in London at time Red claimed they met."—Paul Barresi

FURTHER READING: Big Red and Barresi's initial hire.

MANDATORY FURTHER READING: A chapter from a proposed Barresi book in which the Big Red situation is detailed explicitly—in this sample, it is clear that Barresi, Anthony Pellicano and Tom Cruise's people find Big Red's story credible and that Cruise (via Greenberg Glusker...Barresi scans the check!) paid Barresi for bringing Big Red to his attention so that he could be served with a cease and desist letter.

Comments

[PAUL BARRESI]

I was not paid a dime by IN TOUCH for the interview and contary to reports, I was never hired by Andrew Morton to dig up dirt on Cruise. This bogus claim was falsely published by a British tabloid.

Fact is, I conducted an independent investigation into allegations Cruise is gay, but found not one shred of proof to support those claims and I turned my findings over to Cruise's lawyer. I was paid $5,000.

My investigation concluded Red was not credible. The grapevine is not a reliable source of information. The links you are invited to above for example refers to Anthony Pellicano as an attorney. He is a P.I. I used a ruse to get Red up to his office. I write about that in the chapter.

Sincerely,

Paul Barresi

[Matthew Rettenmund]

Thank you for your reply, Mr. Barresi.

In Touch (which I did not imply had paid you; I was referring to the $5K) says "Porn star-turned-private-investigator Paul Barresi conducted an extensive investigation of the gay rumors, and he gave his findings to Andrew Morton for his upcoming unauthorized biography of the star." This makes it seem as if you were hired by Mr. Morton, a rumor that had previously been reported. (And that you're now saying was inaccurate. Fair enough.)

I'm not sure I understand why you say your investigation into Big Red led you to believe he was not credible...the story in your book proposal makes it clear you thought Tom Cruise's people believed the story, and there is a long description of Big Red seeming flustered as he's grilled but ultimately answering questions that made him seem credible, such as IDing the bodyguard as Mickey.

At any rate, I hope you will appreciate why it struck me as odd that In Touch did not i.d. your previous experience with closeted stars...it's good gossip, but it also would bolster your credibility as it is experience.

Is your book coming soon? It would be a lot more interesting to read than In Touch!

[Tomi]

Oh, Matt, Scientologists are so coming after you, haha.

[Matthew Rettenmund]

I don't fear Scientologists—which apparently now include Will Smith and, uh, his wife.