Marc Jacobs says he ‘won’t lie’ as he talks Grindr ’10-man’ scandal

Marc Jacobs (Getty Images)

Marc Jacobs has revisited the long-running Grindr “10-person” scandal, saying he is “not going to lie about it” and that being open and honest now “excites” him.

Thanks for registering! You can update your email subscriptions at any time in the
My profile section of your account.

Reflecting on the episode with Vanity Fair, the 63-year-old designer said: “I remember the Grindr thing was such a big deal,” before adding: “I’m like, ‘Yes, I’m a gay designer who likes to have sex. What can I tell you?’”

Jacobs framed openness as a deliberate choice. “It excites me to be open, and it excites me to reveal things that somebody else would keep secret,” he said. “If I don’t want to answer, I won’t, but I’m not going to lie about it.”

He also spoke about his outlook as his career enters a new phase. “I don’t have any definitive answers,” Jacobs said. “I remain kind of positive, I guess, is the easiest way to say it.”

Marc Jacobs’ 2015 Grindr scandal

The “10-person” story dates back to October 2015, when Page Six published a story about an alleged sex party allegedly hosted by Jacobs with “up to 10 people”.

Jacobs later addressed the furore on social media in an Instagram post in which he described the event as more “mild” than “wild”, and later shared a “Goodbye (for now) Grindr!” message.

Marc Jacobs [right] and husband Char Defrancesco [left] (Getty Images)

He added: “To whichever guest benefitted from calling this misinformation into the Post, I only wish you good health, happiness, and a long life to enjoy taking advantage of the kindness of strangers and talking s*** about others.”

Life outside the city

Jacobs now lives in Rye, New York with his husband, Charly ‘Char’ Defrancesco, after the couple got married in 2019. Defrancesco said: “If you asked me 10 years ago whether Marc would ever want to live outside the city, I would have said there was no chance.”

He added: “But now I can’t get him to leave. Home in Rye has become a real sanctuary for him. He loves the quiet, he loves being surrounded by nature, and he’s somehow completely devoted to feeding the squirrels and chipmunks.”

Share your thoughts! Let us know in the comments below, and remember to keep the conversation respectful.