Griffin never revealed man behind the curtain

August 17, 2007 Maybe that helps explain why Griffin, who died of prostate cancer Sunday at 82, stayed in the closet throughout his life. [...] how tremendously sad it is that a man of Merv's renown, of his gregarious nature and social dexterity, would feel compelled to endure such a stealthy double life even as the gay community's clout, and its levels of acceptance and equality, rose steadily from the ashes of ignorance. Merv's secret gay life was widely known throughout showbiz culture, if not the wider America.

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