Revealing in the latest issue of People, which features him and his newborn son Parker Foster Aiken, that he's gay, it is claimed that he is paid $500,000 to do the cover shoot.
- Sep 26, 2008
AceShowbiz - Coming out of the closet and finally confirming that he is gay, Clay Aiken reportedly didn't do that for free as rumor has it, People pays him $500,000 to do the cover shoot for its October 6 issue. The amount of money, according to MSNBC, is paid for both his gay revelation and the exclusive right to publish the first picture of his newborn son, Parker Foster Aiken.
$500,000 is a very small amount compared to the approximately $14 million Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt received from the weekly publication for the first photographs of their twins, Knox Leon and Vivienne Marcheline. It has been claimed that the small payout is due to the fact that Clay is less popular than Brangelina.
No words from Clay himself about the report. A representative for People said, "We don't comment on the specifics of any deals."
Clay's cover shoot for People, which features him cradling his baby boy Parker in his arm, was leaked prior to its official release which was on Wednesday, September 24. The cover bore a headline that read, "Yes, I'm gay." It also quoted him as saying, "I cannot raise a child to lie or hide things."
Outpouring support from fans, fellow celebrities and prominent gay-rights groups soon came for Aiken, prompting him to write on his site's members-only message board his gratitude for people's supportive response.
"We'll 'talk' more later, but, suffice it to say, for the first time in recent memory, I am speechless," he wrote on his site's members-only message board. "I'm so proud to know and love all of you...My family is so much larger than Parker, Jaymes, mom, Brett, etc.," the new father continued. "It extends to each of you. And I couldn't be more blessed."
