How accurate is this MASSIVE vintage list of celebrity gossip?

Forget it, Jake; it’s gossip.

It's just random keyboard warriors typing shit.

So deeply unlike DL?

I'd say about 50% true, 50% bullshit

Huh. Sounds pretty similar to DL's batting average.

He's dead, Jim.

And so is he. And he. Him. Him him him and him.

And she.

The A list is part of the bedrock of internet gossip and has been much discussed here over the decades. It's older than 2004; the linked page is version 6.1. I first saw it in 1999, and I suspect it was around for a while before that.

As far as its accuracy, it's gossip and can't be proven either way.

Link to the Reddit thread? Mwah!

Coytainly

Yes, R7, I assumed as much. Thank you for confirming.

As I recall, this list was originally posted in about 1998 on the old alt.showbiz.gossip newsgroup. Most of the information at the time was the author's guesses for blind items (or the consensus for them) along with facts confirmed from police and media reports, biographies, etc. The notoriety of it led others to submit their own gossip. In 2004, the author quit updating and claimed some of it was made up.

It's an interesting read, and I wish a modern version existed. But it's as accurate as anything else posted online.

This is for the most part, Lipstick Alley/CDAN nonsense.

In other words, a bunch of fat, UGLEEEE heifers and bitter, battered dried up queens running their mouths.

Nothing to see here.

R12, the A-list was around long before CDAN was

I know at least one of the items is correct because I submitted it to the authoress,

A lot of is it true, a lot of it is not. The Errol Flynn Nazi stuff is the untrue one, as are a lot of pedo accusations about people who died before this author was even born. The author (a black lesbian/bi woman, I assume?) also has weird personal biases towards and against certain people.

I remember that too, r11.

The Amy Irving/Willie Nelson fling I have absolutely no doubt about, that was more than acting. I saw Honeysuckle Rose when it came out and suddenly at one point in the movie it is was obvious that she had one severe black eye. Back then, there was no tech to hide it. Makeup was applied but bruising was still apparent as was the swelling. Who else but Spielberg would have done that, that was no punch by a woman. I've only seen that movie the once and I wonder if it's since been doctored.

Yes, this list has been around forever. I'd forgotten how entertaining it is to read, even though some of it is clearly not accurate.

[quote]Brandy. Diva-in-training. Difficult to work with is an understatement. Hygenically challenged--girl, wash your cooch!

I remember the A-list site strictly because of this! 😊

Janet Reno is the most shocking.

Renfro fucked Friesland

No true. There is no way Harvey's only crime is " hard to work with" or that Chatlize Theron fucked all these men

My boyfriend and I have quoted that list every time we have seen Andie MacDowell on-screen for the last twenty years: "Possibly mildly retarded."

I, too, sent in an item that was added to someone's "profile" on the A list. It predates CDAN by many, many years. CDAN based a lot of his shit on this list. Now that CDAN wallows in right-wing extremism he's "forgotten" a lot of what he used to know.

Not everything is accurate but a lot of it hits the bullseye. The A list should be perma-linked to the Datalounge.

Leonardo DiCaprio allegedly made gay porn under another name, and is a tickle fetishist?

Brad Pitt was arrested in 1989 for exposing himself to drivers in Malibu?

Busta Rhymes living out The Crying Game?

Timberlake, Justin. A mental lightweight; "has become an asshole with fame." Bi______; "bottom, and a screamer." Smokes blunts (which Nelly introduced him to) and does a massive amount of coke. Linked with Christina Aguilera, Kate Bolin, Cameron Diaz, Enrique Igelsias (yum!), Janet Jackson, Alyssa Milano, Seann William Scott (at the VMAs), and Britney Spears.

The Brad Pitt story is absolutely true. He was arrested for it and some rightwing rag dragged that old story up and republished it recently. He was probably just wasted out of his mind and wandered around without his pants, staring at the cars going by on the road beneath him. It's not a big deal.

I would love it for one of our more motivated queens to put together a similar complete compendium of DL celebrity gossip which could be updated annually. Maybe as a supplementary site or page that Muriel could make available to paying members.

Richard Chamberlain - DL’s own Dick Chamberlain - was connected to Raymond Burr?

[Quote] Seann William Scott (at the VMAs)

LMAO

I did a “find on page” search for “hygenically challenged” (pro tip search “hyg” to get the misspellings. Checks out. Old crusty guys, some non-Americans (don’t @me) and some drug-addled divas (male and female).

Does anyone know what “alien” means on the A- list?

[quote]r28 I would love it for one of our more motivated queens to put together a similar complete compendium of DL celebrity gossip

I'm surpised Muriel isn't on that list.

"Likes boxed wine, which she will not share..."

Some legit gossip in there but I'd say more 40 percent true and 60 percent BS or extreme exaggeration.

I remember this document, plus a similar one (on a white background) that detailed very well hung famous men.

But yeah, this is CDAN level shit nowadays.

According to the A list -

Hung men: Beck, Harry Connick Jr, Ralph Fiennes, Jeff Goldblum, Michael Jordan, Georg Solti, Kyle McLachlan, Paul Walker (RIP).

Bottoms who sought well hung men: Tony Danza (!) Ed Harris (!!) and Donny Osmond (!!!)

The “connected to” frequently lists a “Susanna Eng” (see Matt Damon for ex) but apparently there’s no such person.

Ben Affleck: Rude boorish alcoholic who used hookers, I'd say that's right on the money.

I can't picture Paula Abdul and Lorraine Braco bumping pussies.

Barbra Streisand and Gary Busey?

Lies!

I've skimmed it and 21 years on A LOT of that stuff has proven to be true.

Ben Affleck a tranny chaser?! How did I miss this?

[quote]So enamored of himself he probably masturbates while holding up his own facial shot.

I need to find a way to work this phrase into an everyday conversation about someone.

[quote]I've skimmed it and 21 years on A LOT of that stuff has proven to be true.

A lot of it is, and considering the document was created in the very infancy of the internet, the author must have had a lot of inside knowledge.

An interesting (but ultimately pointless - DL in a nutshell) read.

ChatGPT’s assessment:

That Geocities-era "A‑List" celebrity gossip page is essentially a massive compilation of unverified rumors—mostly hearsay from public-access Usenet threads like alt.gossip.celebrities and anecdotal submissions. Even the author admits upfront:

“based on hearsay, rumor, and gossip… I have tried to make this list as accurate as possible, but in some/many cases I wasn't able to verify rumors. I have not put anything here that I know to be untrue.”

It was even referenced decades later in personal blogs, who stressed its speculative nature and noted that verification was often impossible .

On Reddit, threads recalling the so-called "A‑List" gossip document confirm that it is remembered as a dated collection of rumors, not hard facts.

⚖️ So: How accurate is it?

Likely very unreliable overall. Some entries may incidentally reflect truth, but the vast majority are just rumors—often salacious, hearsay, or wild speculation.

Tread lightly on specifics. This list is not a responsible source for confirming personal allegations. Many claims remain unverified or have been debunked since.

Historical curiosity, not journalism. It does capture early‑2000s gossip culture, but should not be taken as credible evidence.

✅ Final Verdict: If you're using this as vintage pop culture trivia, it’s entertaining—but for any serious research or factual basis, it's not a reliable or polished source. Treat every line as “unverified rumor,” and cross-check with reputable news outlets or biographies where available.

Bottom line: Fascinating piece of internet history, not a trustworthy record of celebrity facts.

Looks like a list made up by someone who was bored by retirement based on "facts" that have been known for ages.

[quote] Trump, Donald. Focus of evil in the modern world. Embodies much that is wrong with America. Short-fingered vulgarian. Linked with TWANS.

Back in the day, we also had plain ole "word of mouth" gossip...so and so knows someone who worked on a set or was a florist in Hollywood or a waiter or...

And, some of it was first hand. I knew someone who had lived in Honolulu and said he used to see Tom Selleck in gay bars with his young, Asian boyfriends back in the Magnum days.

Or, a male co-worker who was hit on by LL Cool J.

I think some items have been excised from that list. Specifically the one about Terry Bradshaw's bisexual tendencies related to wrestling

[quote] Or, a male co-worker who was hit on by LL Cool J.

Do tell!

What is TWANS?

No idea r50

Trans maybe?

[quote] The origins of the word Twan are not entirely clear... Some people believe that the term was first used by African American soldiers during World War II to describe white soldiers who they felt were incompetent or foolish. Others believe that the term originated in the African American community as a way to describe someone who was acting foolishly or making a mistake.

Maybe?

I've heard both that Selleck is enormous and that also, he's tiny.

But he does have big hands, for sure.

"Smith, Anna Nicole, The Widow (TWANS). Never graduated from high school. Former prostitute & stripper; recovering (current?) alcohol & drug addict. Breast implants. Several beers short of a six-pack. Has had l______ affairs. Married an old man to get his money; a spendthrift. Just a sad, pitiful woman. Linked with Robin Leach and Donald Trump."

TWANS =

T he

W idow

A nna

N icole

S mith.

Thank you r55 r56!

There's very little on that list that's surprising or hugely speculative. A lot of is is basic info: "pothead...plastic surgeon junkie....slut....not intelligent".

I still can’t buy Paul Newman as gay.

And I had to look up the word poetaster. I really thought it was something dirty.

Cruelty to animals is the topper on the shit cake that is Diddy.

Whatever happened to Jeremy Northam? I think he was on the list - reference to Knightly? Seemed on the edge of major breakthrough then married a makeup artist? Friends in London at the time were certain he was gay, spotted out and about with male companions. He had a particularly virulent frau fanbase much like Richard Armitage.

I saw him in a play called The Gift of the Gorgon with Judi Dench in The West End a million years ago and he was a fine actor and very easy on the eye. As we might say here, fine husband material.

Posters R50 through R53: You guys are making me feel so old.

Most of this list makes me feel old!

Most of us ARE old.

Gaiman, Neil. "Is even nicer than you've heard."

Rrrrigghhtttt

To Girl Scouts and Brownies, maybe.

[quote]Diddy, P. (aka the Egotist Formerly Known As Sean Coombs and Puff Daddy.) Hard to work for. Lousy in the sack. Possibly Bi______. Cruel to animals--threw a puppy from the roof of his Village townhouse. I've heard hints of even more evil behavior toward humans by him.

[quote] As I recall, this list was originally posted in about 1998 on the old alt.showbiz.gossip newsgroup.

The head mod was BillyEd.

And one of the more memorable posters was the Pink Princess; a plump, filthy rich woman who lived in an American castle with her sculptor husband.

I have knowledge of some of the people on this list and it lines up with what I know and have heard. Doesn't necessarily mean its true, but it tracks. Some of the information on it seems general and gossip you could overhear at any event in southern California. I'd say, on balance, it's over 60-70 % accurate

Jodie Foster - closeted lesbian (well before she came out); Kathy Bates - lesbian; Julianna Marguiles - prima donna. I like how they emphasize whether they are a good or bad tipper!

The tipper part was, I figured, possibly the most accurate, since it was info sourced from a lot of frustrated actors/musicians who were waiting tables and parking cars.

Geocities? Wow, that lasted about 2 seconds a million years ago.

Since when is Penelope Cruz a lesbian?

[quote] Degeneres, Ellen. "Very nice to the crew on her new talk show."

HAHAHAHAHAHA!!

R75 I feel like Ellen started out nice and then that faded with the drinking worsening

Oh, PLEASE, you know the Penelope Cruz/Xavier Bardem marriage is a lavender coverup. They’re both gay.

I had Gemini analyze the list-- I used the prompt: "Read this list of items and identify the ones that turned out to be true." I then copy/pasted a part of the list into it. It goes through each claim and assesses whether it is proven (The results are not very interesting or I'd post it here).

When I tried it the first time and mentioned "celebrity gossip," it basically scolded me and told me to fuck off.

It says Marlon Brando was bisexual and a certified “alien”. I have no idea what that means.

r79 also says David Lynch was an "alien" (which tracks)

There is no way Trump had anything to do with ANS when she was heavy. When she was at her thinnest (for her)—maybe. I would also guess it was when she was young and first hit the scene with Playboy.

Patti LuPone must be fuming...she didn't make the list but Bernadette did!

Well they were right about Trump! 😁 🤣

[quote]Streep, Meryl. Linked with Ed Begley, Jr, Kevin Kline, Jack Nicholson, and Christopher Walken.

List needs updating!!

Well, Meryl might be a bit of a size queen. A few of the men on that list at R84 are known to be packing.

Are Julie Andrews and Carol Burnett really lesbian lovers?

Not knowing what "Alien" refers to is maddening.

Does “alien” mean mentally I’ll or autistic perhaps.

R59 Bisexual is more like it. He had plenty of affairs with women and, reportedly, some or a lot with men as well. Joanne stayed home knitting.

Trump, Donald. Focus of evil in the modern world. Embodies much that is wrong with America. Short-fingered vulgarian.

Got that one right way ahead of its time.

I remember the person who created that list was later homeless and begging for donations. It was sad to see.

No mention of the time in 1979 that Diana Ross decided to recreate the " candle wax " scene from Mahogany in the Basement of Studio. This time with several partipants.

[quote]Levine, James. Child molester.

She got that one right, too.

[quote]Hung men: Beck, Harry Connick Jr, Ralph Fiennes, Jeff Goldblum, Michael Jordan, Georg Solti, Kyle McLachlan, Paul Walker (RIP).

Ralph Fiennes is verified; he's whipped it out on screen enough times.

[quote]Linked with Christina Aguilera, Kate Bolin, Cameron Diaz, Enrique Igelsias (yum!), Janet Jackson, Alyssa Milano, Seann William Scott (at the VMAs), and Britney Spears.

Who tf is Kate Bolin?

Matt Drudge got his start spamming alt.showbiz.gossip with his "Drudge Report" newsletter. I remember his "gossip" constantly being slammed as uninteresting, and he wasn't as much of an insider as he presented himself to be.

List needs updating, it says Miss Magic Johnson got HIV from fucking lots of women.

Javier Bardem is gay?

Literally everyone on this list is supposed to be gay. I believe most of the other details but otherwise eh.