Cary Grant’s Daughter Jennifer Had This Refreshing Take on Her Father’s Sexuality Rumors

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Cary Grant is a Hollywood legend for his roles in classic films, including The Philadelphia Story and An Affair to Remember. However, his personal life was rife with rumors about his sexuality, especially when he had his one and only child in his 60s — an era when people started families at a much younger age.

The late actor’s daughter, Jennifer Grant, 57, is speaking up again about those “persistent rumors” that plagued him in the latter half of his career. Jennifer first addressed the topic in her 2011 book, Good Stuff: A Reminiscence of My Father, Cary Grant, where she said there wasn’t one ounce of truth to the Hollywood gossip. “I received hate mail saying that I was anti-gay, which couldn’t be further from the truth,” she toldThe Guardian. “If you’re around your parents a lot, you see them in ways that almost no one else does. And I never saw a hint of that. I think I would have picked up on it – not that I would’ve cared. But I have to speak the truth of the matter: Dad was charming, and he had great friendships, but he wasn’t flirtatious with men.”

Cary was married five times, but it was his long-term friendship with actor Randolph Scott, whom he lived with in the 1930s, that first raised questions about his sexuality. There were also other names that floated out there, including costume designer Orry-Kerry and Hollywood hustler Scotty Bowers. While Jennifer “never got that hint” that her dad might be gay or bisexual, she does understand that the possibility is out there, well before she was born. 

“Perhaps earlier in his life, he had an affair [with a man],” she said. “I’ll never know, but if he did, fantastic. I hope he enjoyed it.” Jennifer was primarily raised by her father, who gave up his career to spend time with his daughter after he divorced Jennifer’s mother, Dyan Cannon. She’s now honoring his life by producing a British miniseries, Archie (the actor’s birth name), to keep that Cary Grant legacy alive.

Before you go, click here to see more celeb moms who put their careers on hold to stay home with their kids.