As we previously reported, Sam Smith misquoted an interview during his acceptance speech at the Oscars, saying he was the first openly gay man to win the award.
We know that isn’t true, of course. There have been several out and proud members of the Industry who have won awards for their work.
But, instead of admitting his mistake and leaving it at that, Smith then said he was the second openly gay man to win after being called out by Oscar-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black.
Wrong again, Sam.
Following Stephen Fry’s example, Smith is “logging off [of Twitter] for a while.” Fry logged off social media (claiming there are “too many people [who] have peed in the pool for you to want to swim there any more”) after he called Jenny Beavan a “bag lady” while she was accepting her BAFTA award for her costume design in Mad Max: Fury Road. She, then, accepted an Oscar for the same honor.
Smith made the official announcement on Tuesday, March 1, 2016 following his Twitter … uh, conversation with Black.
I’m logging off for a while. Some Martinis shaken not stirred are definitely in order.
— Sam Smith (@samsmithworld) March 1, 2016
Black won an Oscar back in 2008 for his screenplay for Milk. His acceptance speech highlighted the struggle of LGBTQI youth and the need for universal acceptance and love. Other openly gay Oscar winners include Stephen Sondheim and Elton John, who were reportedly equally shocked at Smith’s claim.
Black called Smith out on Twitter for not paying enough attention to the LGBTQI history. He later deleted his scathing tweet, claiming it was a joke, but he did say it was important for Smith — and everyone in the community — to know “our LGBTQ history is important. We stand on the shoulders of countless brave men and women who paved the way for us.”
We don’t know how long Smith’s Twitter silence will last, but he hasn’t fully deleted his account yet.
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