Gawker.com on Wednesday read between
the lines of a The New York Times piece to suggest that
actor-directors James Franco and Scott Haze are involved in a
romantic relationship.
In James Franco: On his Plate, Steak
(and Many Projects), the Times
reported that Franco and Haze met about a decade ago, are “so close
that describing them merely as friends would be a disservice,” and
are “sharing an apartment in Brooklyn this summer.”
That
was enough for Gawker.com's J.K. Trotter to conclude that in addition
to playing a necrophiliac named Lester Ballard in Franco's recent
film, Child of God,
Haze also “appears to be playing: Franco's live-in boyfriend.”
Trotter
described their relationship as “somewhat ambiguous, seemingly
gay, probably romantic” and criticized the Times'
squeamishness on the subject of formerly closeted celebrities, such
as CNN's Anderson Cooper.
Franco, who has
fueled speculation about his sexuality with numerous gay roles,
projects and assorted stunts, responded in an Instagram post: “GAWKER
– always getting the cutting edge, homophobic scoop!!! Go see CHILD
OF GOD in theaters and see me direct my live-in boyfriend, SCOTT
HAZE!!! Love you SCOTT!!!!”