Jay Leno asked Jonathan Taylor Thomas an inappropriate question about his sexuality: "Did it just..."
Jonathan Taylor Thomas, the teen heartthrob best known for his role as Randy Taylor on 'Home Improvement,' was no stranger to media attention in the '90s. However, during an appearance on 'The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,' the young actor was put in an uncomfortable position when Leno asked an inappropriate question about his sexuality. Leno kicked off the conversation by addressing the rumors that had circulated about Thomas. "When a rumor starts, it spreads like wildfire," he said, before elaborating, "Like, about two years ago, people went, 'Jay, he's gay. Jonathan Taylor Thomas is gay. My friend knows a guy, who knows a guy, who knows a guy..." He then asked Thomas, "Did it just drive you nuts?"
Thomas responded with remarkable composure, saying, "Well, you know, I mean, pretty much in Hollywood you're not anyone until it's rumored that you're gay, so, you know, I wasn't that upset about it." Leno chimed in with, "And not that there's anything wrong with that," to which Thomas quickly agreed, repeating the phrase. He then added, "But they're rumors, and you should always be kind of careful with that internet stuff." Throughout the exchange, the 'Tom and Huck' star remained calm and composed, refusing to be rattled by the host’s intrusive questioning. Despite Thomas addressing the rumors, Leno pressed further, asking him directly, "Are you gay?" Thomas, maintaining his cool, simply laughed and replied, "No, no, no." Even after receiving an answer, Leno continued, adding, "You know, it's fine. You know if you want to come out, it's fine."
Fans in the YouTube comment section of the interview video shared their reactions to the exchange. One fan wrote, "Oh okay, thanks for clarifying! I never understood where those rumors came from. Some people have way too much time on their hands online, smh." One netizen said, "What an awfully horrible and inappropriate thing to ask anyone on television. This show would be canceled if that happened today." A third one shared, "Jay Leno really put Jonathan on the spot when he asked that question. What if he was gay and wasn't ready to come out yet?!?! How embarrassing! Poor J.T.T.!"
Years later, Thomas gradually distanced himself from the entertainment industry. According to Us Weekly, he once told Premiere magazine, "You can't be trapped in this bubble called the acting industry. The industry is neurotic and weird, and so when I go home and I play basketball with my friends, I'm not Jonathan Taylor Thomas. I'm just Jonathan. I don't like hanging out with other actors and actresses." The actor is now enjoying life away from the spotlight. "I’d been going nonstop since I was 8 years old,” he told PEOPLE in 2013. “I wanted to go to school, to travel, and have a bit of a break." He also added, "Never took the fame too seriously. It was a great period in my life, but it doesn’t define me. When I think back on the time, I look at it with a wink. I focus on the good moments I had, not that I was on a lot of magazine covers."