who is George Michael ???
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_MichaelLos Angeles incident
Questions of his sexual orientation persisted in public until 7 April 1998, when he was arrested for "engaging in a lewd act" in a public toilet in a park in Beverly Hills, California. He was arrested by an undercover policeman named Marcelo RodrÃguez, a sting operation using so-called "pretty police".
In an MTV interview, George Michael stated: "I got followed into the restroom and then this cop -- I didn't know it was a cop, obviously -- he started playing this game, which I think is called, 'I'll show you mine, you show me yours, and then when you show me yours, I'm going to nick you" [16]
After pleading "no contest" to the charge, Michael was fined US$810 and sentenced to 80 hours of community service. Soon afterwards, Michael made a video for his single "Outside" which was clearly based on the public toilet incident and which featured men dressed up as policemen kissing. Rodriguez claimed that this video "mocked" him, and that Michael had slandered him in interviews. In 1999, he brought a US$10 million court case in California against the singer. The court dismissed the case, but an appeals court reinstated the case on December 3rd, 2002.[17] The court then ruled RodrÃguez, as a public official, could not legally recover damages for emotional distress.[18]
After the incident, Michael became open about his sexuality and his relationship with Kenny Goss, a former cheerleader coach[19] and sports clothing executive from Dallas, Texas,[20] and his partner since June 1996. Goss opened the Goss Gallery in May 2005 in Dallas, which shows contemporary art, including those collected by the couple. They have homes in London and Dallas.[21] In late November 2005, it was reported that Michael and Goss would register their relationship as a civil partnership in the UK,[22] but due to negative publicity and his upcoming tour, they postponed it to a later date.[23]
