Arsenio Hall is an American comedian, actor, and talk show host best known for his late-night series “The Arsenio Hall Show.” He was born on February 12, 1965, in Cleveland, Ohio to Fred and Annie Hall. After finishing high school, Hall pursued a comedy career and moved to Chicago before finally settling in Los Angeles. He survived by doing countless acting gigs and small appearances before he finally had his big break.
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In 1987, Fox Network’s “The Late Show” Starring Joan Rivers was declining in popularity and, after a string of temporary hosts, Hall landed the job and proved to be a success. He hosted the show until Paramount offered him a contract to start his own late-night television series. On January 2, 1989, “The Arsenio Hall Show” released its first episode.
Hall’s talk show was an even bigger success than his previous hosting stint. Its style greatly appealed to younger audiences, providing plenty of artifacts for popular culture. One of the show’s quirks was its distinctive applause. Instead of clapping, the audience would chant “Woof, woof, woof!” while pumping their fists. The chant was then featured in many 90s films, such as “Pretty Woman” and “Aladdin”.
Aside from his talk show, Hall also appeared with Eddie Murphy in the 1988 American comedy film “Coming To America” and its 2021 sequel, “Coming 2 America”. The comedian has enjoyed plenty of success throughout his life, but his hiatus at the end of the 1990s has sparked controversies about his personal life. For one thing, fans have always wanted to know: is Arsenio Hall gay? Let’s get to know the comedian below.
VOTE: What is Arsenio Hall’s Sexuality?
Arsenio Hall’s Relationships
It’s possible that the gay rumors surrounding Arsenio Hall stem from the fact that the comedian has never been married. Hall has only been officially linked to one woman, Cheryl Bonacci, from 1987 to 2002. Despite their long history together, the couple didn’t go down the traditional nuptial route. They also share one son together, Arsenio Hall Jr., who played a huge role in the comedian’s hiatus. Hall and Bonacci separated and the latter later sued him for child support.
Hall also had rumored affairs with other actresses and personalities. During the filming of “Coming To America”, he met Paula Abdul and the two briefly dated before going their separate ways. While the relationship didn’t work out, the duo remained good friends.
There were also talks of hooking up between Hall and British actress Emma Samms. Although neither confirmed the speculations, the pair were seen openly flirting on an episode of “The Arsenio Hall Show”. Unfortunately, the relationship didn’t last and they called it quits after a few months.
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The 1990 Confrontation with Queer Nation
Despite remaining ambiguous about his sexuality, Arsenio Hall openly supported the LGBTQ movement. He often raised awareness regarding HIV and AIDS during his shows and actively worked for the Magic Johnson Foundation. This was especially important since the disease was not widely talked about at the time.
In December 1990, several protestors from Queer Nation interrupted Hall during a taping of his show and confronted him as to why he didn’t feature gay guests on his show. The comedian was outraged and said that he didn’t discriminate against people based on sexual orientation.
In fact, he had numerous gay guests on the show but they hadn’t gone public with their sexuality yet. Hall refused to out the guests on his show and told the protestors that it was “none of their business if they’re gay.”
In an interview with Logo TV in 2014, Hall still stood by his previous statement. The comedian shared that publicly coming out as gay during the 1990s would have ruined anyone’s career. For this reason alone, most celebrities decide to stay closeted.
It’s because I knew who I was. I knew a lot of my friends didn’t come to my defense when everyone was in the closet. I can give you 20 guests on my show in a month [who were gay], but they weren’t talking about it. Luther Vandross ain’t talking about it. He can’t at the time. Louie Anderson can’t then. Ellen can’t then. Rosie can’t then.”
Arsenio Hall to Logo TV, 2014
Is Arsenio Hall Gay?
No, Arsenio Hall is not gay. The actor hasn’t commented on his sexuality but has openly shown support for the LGBTQ movement since the 1990s. He is also an advocate for HIV and AIDS awareness. The actor was never married and only has one son through a partnership that ended in 2002.