In 2011, celebrity hairstylist Elgin Charles appeared on The Wendy Williams Show to promote his VH1 reality series, Beverly Hills Fabulous. While Charles was giving hair tips to guests, host Wendy Williams asked, out of the blue, "Do you have a lover?"
"Do I have a lover?" responded Charles, while putting the final touches on a wig. He paused. "I've had many of them. I'm 50 years old, so I've done it all!" he exclaimed, before moving on to the next hair makeover in the stage lineup.
In the present day, the long-haired stylist, sitting on a couch at The Advocate's office in Los Angeles, reflected on that moment and Williams' strategic use of the word "lover." "I already knew where she was coming from. She wasn't asking me, 'Are you in a relationship?' It was coded. It was definitely messy," he said. "You know, just ask me straight up if you want to."
And what if Williams had asked Charles point-blank about his sexual orientation? "I probably would [have answered]. I don't know. I was glad she didn't!" he said with a laugh. "It wasn't too bad, you know. It just caught me off guard, and I wasn't ready for it," he continued. "So now I'm ready. Ask me anything."