http://www.dailymail.co.u...-I-am.html

George Michael on drug-taking and cruising for sex with strangers on Hampstead Heath: 'It's just who I am'

By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 4:20 PM on 05th December 2009

George Michael and his boyfriend Kenny Goss: The couple have an open sexual relationship

George Michael today spoke candidly of his drug use and cruising for sex with strangers, saying 'it's just who I am'.

The former Wham! star confirmed he was caught in possession of crack cocaine when arrested last year in public toilets on Hampstead Heath, a gay cruising area close to his home in north London.

But asked when he had last smoked the class A drug, the singer declined to answer.

He told The Guardian newspaper he had cut back on cannabis and now smokes only 'seven or eight' spliffs per day instead of the 25 he used to smoke.

The 46-year-old defended 'cottaging' on the Heath, saying it was 'nicer' than picking up men in bars.

'The handful of times a year it's bloody warm enough, I'll do it. I'll do it on a nice summer evening. Quite often there are campfires up there,' he said.

'It's a much nicer place to get some quick and honest sex than standing in a bar, E'd off your tits (high on ecstasy) shouting at somebody and hoping they want the same thing as you do in bed.'

Asked why he cruises for sex when he could get any gay man he wanted, George replied: 'I do get anyone I want. But I like a bit of everything. I have friends up there, I have a laugh.'

Over the last decade Michael has had a number of run-ins with the law.

In 1998, he was arrested in public toilets in Los Angeles for 'engaging in a lewd act' and was cautioned for possessing cannabis after being found asleep at the wheel of his car on two separate occasions in 2006.

He said: 'I had a problem with sleeping pills for about a year and a half, and I f***** up really badly.

'I got in the car twice when I'd forgotten I'd already downed something to try to get me to sleep. It doesn't matter that it wasn't deliberate – ultimately, I did it a second time, and I could have killed somebody.

'But the fact remains I was never accused of driving under the influence. I got done for exhaustion and sleeping pills.'

Asked about his average day Michael - who rolled and smoked two cannabis joints told how he gets up at about 10am and after a Starbucks coffee and answer a few e-mails.

He added: 'At the moment I've got nothing that pressurised other than keeping an eye on the video they're making for the Christmas single. Then, if I'm in the mood, I'll come up to the office in Highgate, do some work, writing, backing tracks or whatever.

Come home. Kenny will be here, the dogs are here. Maybe eat locally, hang out, and then probably go off and have a s**g or have someone come here and have a s**g."

Asked if he was referring to his partner Kenny Goss, the singer replied: 'If it was s*****g with Kenny, I wouldn't have to invite him round, would I?'

He continued: 'Kenny gets his, believe me.'

Recently a number of stars have said they fear for Michael's wellbeing, including Sir Elton John who enlisted the help of Bono.

Bono offered to help Michael after Sir Elton John spoke to him, the singer claimed.

He added: 'Geri told Kenny that Bono, having spoken to Elton, had approached Geri to say, "What can we do for George?"

'This is what I have to deal with because I don't want to be part of that social clique. All I'd have to do to stop it is hang out in London, so people realise I don't look close to death.'

He continued: 'Elton lives on that. He will not be happy until I bang on his door in the middle of the night saying, 'Please, please, help me, Elton. Take me to rehab.' It's not going to happen.

'Elton just needs to shut his mouth and get on with his own life. Look, if people choose to believe that I'm sitting here in my ivory tower, Howard Hughesing myself with long fingernails and loads of drugs, then I can't do anything about that, can I?'

He added: 'People want to see me as tragic with all the cottaging and drug-taking... those things are not what most people aspire to, and I think it removes people's envy to see your weaknesses.

'I don't even see them as weaknesses any more. It's just who I am.'

Whatever George.....

cool dude-live your life and all.....BUT

way 2 much information. To me-it makes a gay life/relationship sound awful. So they BOTH see other folk.....Man thats plain sad. Why bother

and.....

man how many dodgy folk could now-grab him off the heath for cash-or worse

then again-these days-he'd probably enjoy it

great great singer and artist-but really-a bit of a knob too-and everytime I see him interviewed'his life sounds more sad and tragic

lol-mind you-i got made redundant and am skint-so i guess he's not doing so bad

polkadotbliss said:

Trolling for sex and open relationships are not exclusive to gay people.

And I really don't get how you are judging gay lifestyles off one person.

i wasn't intentionally judging every gay persons lifestyle-but 2 me-and its not just 2 gay folk-if 2 straight folk were seeing other folk-taking risks like trawling public loo's and all for a shag.....

sorry-call me old fashioned-but it sounds sad-and nasty-and tragic

im no prude-sleeping around-cool-but im way too jealous for such open relationships and just can't see how they work or why folk would want that sort of thing. Surely-its being in a relationship-and acting single.....

polkadotbliss said:

To me, it's to each his own.

In open relationships, to some people, the sex is not the most important part of it.

Well, I give him credit for being honest.

sosgemini said:

I do too but I worry he's going to take himself out.

7 or 8 joints a day? Really? Down from 25? The dude's brain is completely fried. No wonder his music has gone to shit.
[Edited 12/6/09 12:56pm]

I sincerely hope he gets himself together before something tragic happens.

Kara said:

Although I cannot fathom a relationship quite like the one George Michael has, yes, to each his own, I suppose.

It just seems extremely risky seeking out all that pleasure in such an environment...

maybe the drugs have removed any caution he might have otherwise exhibited considering just how he seems to ignore the risk to his physical health from being in such a unsecure environment

And this is regardless of whether he is taking the necessary precautions as far as sex is concerned.

Seems to me he is on a downward spiral.....I mean it is interesting that he cannot for one minute think that those who are trying to reach out to him might just have his best interest at heart, period

Most friends do not have to threaten some sort of intervention in the lives of other friends if nothing major is wrong.....he might try and consider that for a moment and then reflect on what he is doing....

Allnall said:

deep...thanks for sharing.

omg...

What a fucking loser.

He does seem to be living his life backwards.....

some of the stuff he mentions-to me seem like the mind set of a teenager or twenty something-by the time you hit your forties-those things are thankfully in the past

you get the impression-at school he was geek central. up until Andrew Ridgely where he seemed to then become 'cool'

and now.....he's doing the stuff we 'normal' folk grew out a long time ago

its kinda like Prince in some senses. when he was young-and normal kids are playing and stuff-he was indoors-alone practising. So now-when I hear folk say-away from music-he's kinda dull-I can well believe that

like when Oprah embarrased him saying we thought you were behind big purple doors-having sex.

LOL--I'm guessing he was just obsessed with it-but deffo NOT doing it

luckily-Prince has aged very well-and comes accross as a well balanced guy today-unlike George sadly

I fear interviews like that will make him the target of some nutter like the nail bomber that attacked Soho-or some criminal gang after cash

and now all they gotta do-is head for Hampstead heath on the next nice warm evening.....

amazingly stupid

nothing wrong with pot

nothing wrong with a shag

and if u r gay and single, a shag with a random stranger is normal but might seem odd to straight folk

fuck Bono and Elton

it is just nice that George can openly talk about all this stuff now, whereas a long time ago he had to hide it from everyone while being in the spotlight and all

japanrocks said:

straight folks do it all the time too...bar hookups, craiglist...straight people are just as nasty.

I hope he doesn't pick up a psycho one day.

sosgemini said:

true.....but gay dudes do it in parks and bathrooms and use craiglist for sex with strangers, even when they dont really know the person well.....and there is not much taboo either.....and no feelings get hurt

makes me wish i were gay

He should at least have a bit of class....I mean I have not the same type of relationship but we have a "open 3" relationship but never ever with some strange person off the streets. I don't even know how one can be satisfied with a stranger.

Anyway I'm glad he is honest with who he is, but he sounds bitter...not actually happy or proud of what he does. It just sounds like a moment in time. Maybe he always been like this and we never knew though.

sosgemini said:

The only difference being that law enforcement doesn't set up sting operations to bust straight people engaging in acts of public sex; they reserve that for gay folk.

Dayuuum George. this is sad and pitiful to me. i'd lost some respect for him but this is just BAD.

way too much pot! imagine his breath! blergh

i love him as an artist but i think he´s been perhaps a bit too honest.

Here's the whole interview.

http://www.guardian.co.uk...-sex-drugs

If you read the whole interview in context, his comments don't seem quite as irresponsible and unreasonable.
The Daily Mail being a right wing homophobic tabloid took things out of context to make him look extra bad and a total idiot.

japanrocks said:

George Michael isn't single, though. I like him a lot but I think a lot of people have a hard time understanding why he still sleeps with random strangers when he has a very attractive seemingly loving boyfriend who he says he is committed to. Doesn't all the publicity around his escapades upset his boyfriend?
I"m straight and having casual with strangers doesn't seem odd to me, but it does seem odd if you are married or in a civil partnership.

polkadotbliss said:

George WAS a geek

I never knew you couldnt type "shag" in British print media .