Michael was initially private about his sexual orientation, with rumours of relationships with high-profile women such as Brooke Shields, Whoopi Goldberg, and Melissa Megginson making him common tabloid fodder during his Wham! career.
These persisted into his solo career, but Michael had already established a relationship with Anselmo Feleppa, whom he had met at the 1991 concert “Rock in Rio”. Feleppa died of an AIDS-related brain hemorrhage in 1993. Michael’s single “Jesus to a Child” is a tribute to Feleppa (he consistently dedicates it to him before performing it live), as is his 1996 album Older.
In a 2007 interview, Michael said that he kept his homosexuality secret due to worries over the impact it would have on his mother
