A new biography titled The Secret Life of James Dean, set to be published next Tuesday, reveals a hidden episode in the life of the iconic 1950s actor James Dean. Just before the premiere of his first major film, East of Eden, Dean was forced to pay $800—equivalent to $14,500 today—to his ex-lover to prevent his sexual orientation from being made public.
The revelation was reported on by The Daily Mail, New York Post, La Vanguardia, and other outlets.
The payment averted a public scandal that would have cost Dean his career in the 1950s, as Hollywood built the image of its stars on strict ideals of masculinity and heterosexuality. The book details how Dean's relationship with publicist Rogers Brackett led to a blackmail scheme that could have destroyed his promising career in Hollywood.
Dean met Brackett in 1951 when he was working as a valet in Los Angeles at a parking lot near CBS studios. Brackett, an older, wealthy, and influential man, was "impressed by the golden beauty of the young man who took his keys." He reportedly said he would keep the handsome youngster in mind for roles on the radio show. Soon, Brackett offered Dean a role in a radio program he was producing, and their relationship transformed into something more than a professional arrangement.
During their relationship, Brackett helped Dean with acting jobs, including securing him a part in the 1952 Broadway play See the Jaguar. He also provided financial support to Dean, covering hotel bills and loans that totaled over $1,000 at the time. Despite this support, their relationship became turbulent. After a tumultuous romance that lasted a year, they parted ways. Brackett moved to Chicago while Dean relocated to New York City.
Despite their distance, an impoverished Dean accepted financial support from Brackett, who decided to cover some of his expenses. However, when Dean began to gain ground in the industry, their relationship deteriorated. In March 1955, just weeks before the premiere of East of Eden, Brackett, now unemployed and facing financial difficulties, reappeared in Dean's life demanding $1,200 as reimbursement for expenses he had incurred on Dean's behalf. Brackett filed a lawsuit against Dean in the New York Municipal Court to claim his money, including $450 in hotel bills.
Although the legal documents did not mention the romantic relationship between them, both Dean and Brackett knew that the exposure of the case could reveal their connection and destroy Dean's career. Under this pressure, Dean chose to reach a settlement with Brackett. He agreed to pay $800 in weekly installments of $100 to prevent the situation from becoming public.
According to documents that author Jason Colavito claims to have obtained, Dean's agent arranged for the distribution company of East of Eden to pay Brackett a "finder's fee" to ensure his silence. Colavito writes, "Implicit in the correspondence and conversations between Brackett's team and Dean's is the threat that the suit might become public, which both Brackett and Dean knew would destroy Dean's career."
The story has remained hidden for nearly 70 years, thanks to the efforts of the people involved, with Dean's agent secretly keeping copies of his papers hidden away. Colavito told the Daily Mail, "This story has never been told before, and all parties involved worked hard to make sure no one ever found out."
Dean reportedly said of the situation, "I didn't know it was the whore who paid—I thought it was the other way around." Brackett, years later, reportedly said of Dean, "Jimmy was like a child. He behaved badly just to get attention. [H]e was a kid I loved, sometimes parentally, sometimes not parentally."
During this period, Dean saw Brackett as "increasingly desperate" and "manipulative," according to Colavito. Brackett had helped Dean avoid the army when he was drafted by sending him to a psychiatrist who faked sessions to certify Dean's homosexuality, which "tore apart Dean's fragile masculinity."
Despite the challenges, Dean managed to establish himself as an actor and starred in East of Eden, directed by Elia Kazan, which earned him his first Oscar nomination. He died in a car crash in September 1955, just six months after the premiere of East of Eden.
Jason Colavito's book reveals that the story remained concealed due to the concerted efforts of those involved. He writes, "The audacity of the demand shocked Dean, who had come to believe he had dealt with abuse during his time 'dancing' for Brackett's friends." The legal documents, which Colavito claims to have obtained, show that while the lawsuit made no mention of their affair, the implicit threat of exposure was enough to compel Dean to settle.
Brackett reportedly said of Dean's reluctance to repay him, "Sorry, pops." After a verbal lashing from Alec Wilder, replete with the implications of the damage Brackett could do to his fledgling career, Dean reluctantly agreed to pen an apology to his former paramour. Unfortunately for Dean, the letter he wrote did not resolve the matter, and this silence has now come to light thanks to documents that his agent kept hidden for decades.
Colavito explained that Brackett used his power and wealth to keep Dean safe, but this also placed Dean in a precarious position. He writes, "Brackett imposed on Dean for a drink and, striking a more conciliatory tone, asked him for money—a loan, he called it." Under the pressure of potential scandal, Dean settled with Brackett, wanting to "avoid a scandal when he could least afford one."
This article was written in collaboration with generative AI company Alchemiq
