'Mister Rogers' TV host asked gay co-star to marry a woman if he wanted to be on show: 'I was destroyed'
'Mister Rogers' longtime co-star, Francois Clemmons, made a name for himself as he starred in the show. While his character had everyone believe that he was having a nice time on the sets of the show, Clemmons revealed Fred Rogers had asked him not to come out as gay while being on television and to marry a woman instead.
Clemmons revealed this in his new memoir 'Officer Clemmons' and recalled an incident in which he was asked to come to Roger's cabin for a discussion. "Franc, you have talents and gifts that set you apart and above the crowd," Roger told him, as reported by The Sun. "Someone has informed us that you were seen at the local gay bar downtown. Now, I want you to know, Franc, that if you’re gay, it doesn’t matter to me at all."
While Rogers hinted that he did not mind Clemmons being gay, he did add that it would be better for him to hide his sexuality from the world. "Whatever you say and do is fine with me, but if you’re going to be on the show as an important member of the Neighborhood, you can’t be out as gay," he said.
Clemmons further stated that he was told to hide the truth in a bid to follow his dream. He confessed it wasn't easy hearing this from Rogers as he had always looked up to him. “I was destroyed,” Clemmons told People. “The man who was killing me had also saved me. He was my executioner and deliverer. But, at the same time, I knew that he would know how to comfort me. I didn’t have another mother or father to comfort me. I had no one to go and be a boy with. I was just vulnerable. He got in a few slaps, some tough love, a good spanking. But I was not kicked out of the family.”
Clemmons says Rogers also told him, "'The world doesn’t really want to know who you’re sleeping with — especially if it’s a man. You can have it all if you can keep that part out of the limelight.'”
Clemmons revealed as he left the office he had made up his mind that he was going to get married to a woman. Clemmons then got married to La-Tanya Mae Sheridan and Rogers even attended the wedding. Clemmons admits when he met Rogers on the day of the wedding he felt like they were hiding a big secret and he might have made a deal with him.
The pair broke up in 1974 and Clemmons started living openly as gay and he is not holding back with the details in his memoir.