Anderson Cooper has come out in an interview in which he bluntly says: “The fact is, I’m gay.”

The CNN news anchor said that he did not want people to think he is ‘trying to hide something’ and that he is ‘proud’ of who he is. In candid comments he said that he was taking a stand because ‘the tide of history only advances when people make themselves fully visible’. The 45-year-old added he was moved by recent events such as Barack Obama’s endorsement of gay marriage — and hopes his example will put an end to bullying.

Cooper’s sexuality has long been an open secret in TV circles, but for him to state it publicly is a brave and bold move. He is also one of the most high-profile people to come out in recent years, given that he hosts CNN’s ‘Anderson Cooper 360’ and his own daytime TV talk show.

Cooper came out by giving permission for friend Andrew Sullivan, who is openly gay, to print an email exchange between them on the Daily Beast. In it he said: “In a perfect world, I don’t think it’s anyone else’s business, but I do think there is value in standing up and being counted. The fact is, I’m gay, always have been, always will be, and I couldn’t be any more happy, comfortable with myself, and proud.

I have always been very open and honest about this part of my life with my friends, my family, and my colleagues. I’m not an activist, but I am a human being and I don’t give that up by being a journalist.”

— Daily Mail

Unlucky number?

It looks like Tom Cruise’s unlucky number is 33 — as all three of his exwives called it quits when they reached that very same age. Mimi Rogers, Nicole Kidman and Katie Holmes were all in their early thirties when their marriages to the Hollywood leading man took a turn for the worse.

Fans of the heartbroken star searched for a meaning, some postulating that the number 33 is related somehow to Cruise’s religion, Scientology. The actor married Mimi Rogers when she was 31 in May of 1987. She was 33 when they broke up in 1990.

In his second marriage to Nicole Kidman, the actors stayed together for 10 years. They split in 2001, when she was 33. His wedding with Katie Holmes was in 2006 when she was 28 and last week, when she filed for divorce, she had reached the ripe old age of 33.

In each case, divorce proceedings began when the wives were 33 and concluded when they were 34.

Gossip blogger Perez Hilton dug deep into Scientology to find out what, if any, importance there is to the number 33. Turns out, the first Church of Scientology was established in Phoenix, Arizona, which lies on the 33rd parallel. In numerology, the number 33 is for the ‘master teacher’ represented by the Archangel Michael.

The number 33 is associated with the power of healing through love; people with the life path number 33 are totally selfless and love unconditionally. Regardless of the positive connotations, Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise’s divorce will not be recognised by the church of Scientology, according to church documents.

— Daily Mail