WHY LILY TOMLIN STAYED IN THE CLOSET

Hollywood actress Lily Tomlin regrets not ‘coming out’ 30 years ago, because she missed the chance to become the first openly-lesbian star.Tomlin was offered the chance to come out of the closet in a Time magazine article in 1975, but she refused, and kept her sexuality a secret until after comedienne Ellen DeGeneres exposed her lesbian status in 1997.The 68-year-old actress says, "In some ways I regret that I didn’t do it." But she explains the real reason behind her decision not to give Time magazine the gay scoop in the mid-1970s: "(I was) insulted that they thought I would do it just to get the cover."

LILY TOMLIN AT BEEBO BRINKER CHRONICLES

Lily Tomlin and Sirius star Frank DeCaro

Lily Tomlin and her partner Jane Wagner are executive producers of the new off Broadway hit BEEBO BRINKER CHRONICLES based on the wildly popular award winning pulp novels of the 1950s and 1960s by Ann Bannon. After a triumphant opening night at 37 ARTS (450 West 37th Street) Tomlin, Wagner and a couple hundred of their closest friends including celebs CYNTHIA NIXON, SUZANNE VEGA, RANDY JONES, ANN BANNON, JAMIE DE ROY, PEPPERMINT, BETTY, KATE CLINTON, LISA KRON, FRANK DE CARO made their way to HK LOUNGE where everyone partied into the wee hours. BEEBO BRINKER CHRONICLES has just begun it's limited 10 week run and is expected to be one of the hottest tickets in town.

Photo By: Mark Rupp