Eric McCormack — a straight actor who rose to fame playing a gay character on NBC’s Will & Grace — has joined the debate over gay roles.

The 60-year-old Toronto native played gay lawyer Will Truman for 11 seasons, the first eight on the original series from 1998 to 2006 and another three seasons from 2017 to 2020.

Will & Grace was a landmark series for the LGBTQ community and became one of the first successful network sitcoms to feature gay cast members.

Now there’s been a lot of discussion about whether heterosexual actors should play gay roles, which McCormack addressed during a Good morning Great Britain interview.

“That’s a tough call for me because I didn’t become an actor so I could play an actor,” McCormack said on the show, weeks after appearing at an Oscar viewing party with his estranged wife Janet Holden.

“There’s not a role I’ve ever played where I wasn’t playing something I’m not. It’s part of the performance. If gay actors weren’t allowed to play straight actors, Broadway would be over. So this is what we do,” he continued.

McCormack added: So this is what we do. I think I represent it well. I came out of theater and one of my best friends was gay.”

“So I think I took their spirit and their message into what was otherwise just a sitcom and represented it, I hope,” he continued.

The actor was also asked about the sitcom being cast today and if he would get the role, and he had this to say.

‘Well, I guess the answer would be that they would have to say in the casting room, “And you’re gay, right?” which I don’t think they can say,” he began.

“I would like to think generally that the best person for the role, the one who comes in and knocks it out of the park, is the one who gets the role,” he said.

The interview comes nearly four months after the actor’s wife of 26 years, Janet Holden, filed for divorce.

She cited “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for the split, although no date of separation was stated in the documents.

Janet is seeking spousal support and reportedly wants to “end the court’s ability to award spousal support to Eric,” according to TMZ’s report.

The Canadian actor and Janet share one child together: 21-year-old son Finnigan Holden McCormack.

However, last week they attended the Elton John AIDS Foundation 2024 Oscars viewing party on Sunday evening.

Although there is no update on the divorce filing, the couple seemed to be in good spirits as they hung out together at the gala event.

RORY MCILROY left a commentator speechless after a “stupid” take.

McIlroy, 34, competed in the Players Championship in Florida, USA, when he was presented with a difficult opportunity.

1

However, McIlroy, being the golf artist that he is, managed to pull off a crazy shot in the second round to get himself out of trouble.

His shot landed on the green even jumping over a lake after hitting under trees.

The shot drew cheers from the crowd.

One of the Sky Sports commentators were also impressed by the incredible hit.

They said, “That’s stupid. No, no, that’s stupid.

“It shouldn’t be allowed.”

Dame Laura Davies also claimed in co-commentary that it was one of the best shots you will ever see.

Fans seemed to agree online, with one saying on social media: “Outrageous!!!”

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A second said: “That’s one of the best golf shots I’ve seen Rory McIlroy.”

McIlroy is currently second on the PGA Tour, but nine shots behind Florida.

He is nine under par, while leader Xander Schauffele is currently -17.

EXCLUSIVE

A 15-year-old boy said to have a “disturbing infatuation” with sexual violence has been accused of sexually assaulting another male student, raising questions about why he was allowed to attend a special needs school.

Daily Mail Australia can reveal alarming claims about child protection failures by the NSW Department of Education after Jacob* was accused of sexually assaulting another Year 9 boy, Tom*, between July and September last year.

NSW Police allege the attacks took place both on and off school grounds and came after Jacob befriended Tom, who has autism, on Snapchat and began bombarding him with sexually explicit images.

Jacob then allegedly performed sex acts on Tom – so nauseating they could not be described in detail – and hit him across the back five times with a rope, according to a police document tendered to the children’s court.

Police will allege that Jacob’s behavior towards Tom took a huge toll on both the boy and his family, and that Jacob threatened to harm himself when Tom tried to distance himself from the friendship.

In court documents, NSW Police allege Jacob is a repeat child molester, with a history of “continually engaging in unsolicited and unwanted sexual (crime) towards other people without their consent.”

“The young person has a disturbing infatuation with (imposing) sexual behavior on others and himself,” the document said.

“(Also) shows violence towards his victims if they do not comply with his demands.”

How the police investigation took shape

A whistleblower told Daily Mail Australia that concerns were raised at the school about Jacob’s behavior in August 2023 after students disclosed alarming information to their families.

The whistleblower said the school was told that Jacob had allegedly sent explicit photos to peers and solicited others in return, and that he had pressured other students to perform sex acts.

Jacob had also reportedly bragged to peers that he had been accused of raping a younger relative, which resulted in him being removed from his family home and placed in out-of-home care.

However, the whistleblower claims that school staff dismissed the alleged behavior as “boys being boys” and that the admitted sex offender “also had a right to go to school.”

Tom’s relatives took it outside the school and reported the matter to the police, after which an investigation was launched.

Jacob was subsequently charged in December with four charges relating to his interactions with Tom, including assault, physical assault, stalking or intimidation and using a carriage service to send indecent material.

However, the whistleblower claims that even while police investigated, Jacob was allowed to remain enrolled at the school until he was eventually forced to leave in January.

During that time, Tom was initially forced to continue attending the same school as his alleged attacker, before ultimately refusing to attend.

That’s what the court documents claimed during that time, Tom has “become withdrawn for fear of being attacked by the younger one.”

‘The victim and his parents believe he can no longer go to school because of the young person’s sexual and aggressive behavior towards the victim.’

The case is currently before the children’s court.

Since the charges in December, Daily Mail Australia understands Jacob has been charged with multiple other offenses relating to separate cases.

NSW Police told Daily Mail Australia it could not comment on the police investigation as the cases are before the Children’s Court.

Education Minister Prue Car was contacted for comment.

School system under fire

A former employee of Youth Justice NSW’s sex offender program – which oversees support services for accused young people – told Daily Mail Australia the school would likely have known about Jacob’s criminal background.

The ex-child protection worker said a comprehensive assessment of the child’s history would have been carried out at the time of registration as he was enrolled in a special needs school.

She said any warning signs or behavioral issues — including previous interactions with police — should be documented by staff as part of the intake process and when developing student behavior plans.

Additionally, she said any additional information that may arise later would have been added to the student’s file.

However, the insider said the school’s inability to implement a safety plan to effectively manage Jacob’s sexualized behavior exposed systemic problems within the education sector.

While staff at special education schools may be trained to help students with certain behavioral problems, the insider said recognizing risk factors for child abuse is a specialized skill that many teachers do not possess.

“Schools often do not have enough staff with specific training to recognize risky sexualized behavior,” she said.

‘This puts other students at risk and leaves the child exhibiting the behavior in question without support to overcome it.’

The incident raises questions about how many teenage abusers are currently in NSW schools without proper facilities to protect other students.

Although Jacob also has the right to an education, a school whistleblower accused the school system of gross negligence by failing to act decisively when concerns were raised.

‘The school has a duty of care. “If you send your children to school, you think they will be safe,” they said.

‘They knew. They were very aware of it.

“But they did nothing to protect them [the other students].’

The NSW Department of Education declined to comment on the case.

*Names changed for legal reasons

For confidential support, please contact:

Lifeline 13 11 14

Children’s helpline 1800 55 1800

1800 RESPECT

By Mary Mrad for Daily Mail Australia

Published: 5:15 PM EDT, March 13, 2024 | Updated: 5:47 PM EDT, March 13, 2024

A bride-to-be is dividing opinion after drawing up a list of ‘rules’ for her partner’s hen party.

Isabella Blount, 24, from Leicestershire, is getting married in Las Vegas in 2026 but has already drawn up a list of demands before her fiancé Max parties the night away at his stag do.

Izzy, who works in marketing, and Max got engaged last September while on vacation at DisneyWorld.

Goes to her TikTok account @isabellab212Izzy listed seven rules she wants her partner to follow during his bachelor party, including ‘no strippers’ and a ban on going to certain locations, such as Amsterdam.

She also wants Max to “video/picture everything” and bring her a gift back, explaining, “I’m not saying it makes up for anything, but I love gifts.”

She also wanted regular contact to make sure he was safe and added that he should not associate with members of the opposite sex, saying: “Girls are a no.”

Her video has now gone viral and has been viewed 1.8 million times, but people remain divided over whether her rules are too “controlling,” or if she’s just asking for basic respect from her partner.

Some people supported her requests, with one saying: ‘Honestly, you’re so real about this,’ while another commented: ‘Bachelorette parties should be seen as a getting married celebration, not a final ‘free’ party. night out’.

But others were more doubtful, as one commenter shared his own experiences, writing: ‘My fiancée’s bachelor party is a no-no this weekend. I just want him to enjoy his weekend because I trust him.”

One person objected to Izzy’s request for a gift, asking, “Bring a gift from a bachelorette party, like what exactly?” A hangover and the smell of regret?’

Another social media user said: ‘If a guy does this it’s controlling and oppressive,’ while someone else said: ‘If you don’t trust someone that much, is marriage really the best option?’

Izzy now insists her demands were a ‘joke’ and posted her updated rules, which still didn’t include strippers, some communication and returning a gift.

She told wedding planning website Hitched: “These ‘rules,’ as I called them on TikTok, are things we discussed when planning our bachelorette parties.

‘These are not all my actual views, and the word ‘rules’ was meant as a joke (he’s not a child!). I’d say they’re more setting the boundaries of things I’m not comfortable with him doing.

“The actual thing I told my fiance is ‘no strippers’ as far as I’m concerned this is disrespectful and I think a LOT of women agreed in the comments [of the video].

“The other big thing is communication. Me and my fiance live together and talk every day, so it would be unnatural not to talk even when we are apart. And especially because we just want to make sure that each other is safe and has fun!

“My fiance knew about the TikTok before it was posted because we both thought it was obviously a joke…. So now we just laugh together at the reactions. The gift thing was also meant to be funny, but I wouldn’t mind!’

Isabella says her fiancé “completely agrees and respects these things” and says that’s why they work so well as a couple.

‘The communication rule works both ways. He would also want to know that I am safe.

‘He doesn’t have to worry about the strippers because he knows the thought of them makes me uncomfortable. So you won’t find me at Magic Mike!’

She added that she didn’t expect the video to blow up like it did: ‘I usually make crazy TikToks for my friends to see, so I was shocked!

“I really think it’s revealed a huge talking point, and girls say they argue with their fiancés about the same things!” One of them even said they broke up with their partner after talking about strippers!’

A large crowd of demonstrators have marched through Sydney’s Hyde Park ahead of Saturday’s Mardi Gras parade to protest the involvement of NSW Police.

As they marched through the park to the staging area for Saturday’s parade, the crowd chanted “stop police attacks on gays, women and blacks.”

Organizers Pride in Protest also caused chaos in Darlinghurst, the heart of the city’s LGBTQI+ community, on Friday evening when around 300 people arrived for the same reason.

Police were not formally invited to march in the parade this year following the arrest of an on-duty police officer charged with the alleged murders of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies.

Mr Davies was honored with a special float by Qantas, his former employer.

Police will allege in court that Beau Lamarre-Condon, who worked with the NSW Police Youth Command, used his service weapon to kill the pair, who had recently started dating.

After a meeting with Police Chief Karen Webb, officers were allowed to march again, but not in uniform, and were not allowed to carry weapons.

However, there will be officers on duty at the parade, which will further anger the group.

Pride in Protest organizers called those marching with the group to City Hall for a ‘speak out’ event on Saturday from 2pm, with the march to the staging area in Hye Park taking place just after 4pm.

Sharing a photo of the police contingent assigned to the pre-parade protest on Instagram, organizers commented: “This might as well be their float.”

In the staging area, a protester waved a large sign depicting a blood-spattered handgun flanked by the rainbow flag.

A police uniform was draped over the cloth, with the text: ‘Are you missing this?’

Where can you watch the Mardi Gras Parade in Sydney?

Saturday night’s Mardi Gras parade starts at 7.30pm on the corner of Hyde Park and Oxford Street, travels along Oxford and Flinders Street and ends in Moore Park around 11pm.

Viewing from the street is free, but crowds are expected to line the parade route and throughout the city as celebrations take place throughout the business district.

Anyone wanting to avoid the crowds can purchase tickets for the main viewing areas, some of which are still available on Saturday afternoons.

Those watching at home can tune in on ABC or iView from 7:30 PM.

The broadcast will be hosted by Australia’s most iconic drag star Courtney Act, non-binary musician G-Flip, actor Remy Hii and ABCQueer presenter Mon Schafter.

Parade stops for a moment of silence

Organizers of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade have revealed they will halt the parade to pay tribute to Mr Baird and Mr Davies, amid somber reflections on the couple’s lives days ahead of the event.

Mr Baird, 26, and his friend Mr Davies, 29, were allegedly murdered at Baird’s share house in Paddington at about 9.30am on February 19.

Senior Constable Beau Lamarre-Condon is accused of using his police-issued pistol to shoot them before dumping the bodies on a rural property.

During tonight’s parade, which starts at 6 p.m., a moment of silence will be observed for the young couple.

“We will take a moment to honor and remember Jesse Baird and Luke Davies, whose lives were tragically taken from us,” Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras said in a statement on Saturday.

“This moment of remembrance serves as a powerful reminder of the ties that unite us and the memories of those we hold dear.

‘As the Dykes on Bikes approach Taylor Square for their second pass – the heart of our parade – they will pause for a moment.

‘This is a signal for all present to observe a moment of silence.’

Mr Davies will also be honored by his former employer, Qantas, on his float during the parade.

Hundreds of people gathered at Green Park in Darlinghurst on Friday evening, an evening that would usually mark the start of a weekend of parties and celebrations.

Instead, friends, family and members of the LGBTQIA+ community gathered at dusk to pay tribute to the lives of the young couple whose lives were so tragically cut short.

The Covid pandemic could have been prevented and contained to Wuhan, a professor claims in a scathing book that lifts the lid on Chinese blunders that allowed the virus to spread around the world and kill millions of people.

‘Wuhan: How the Covid-19 Outbreak in China Spiraled Out of Control’, by lead author Professor Dali Yang, was published on Friday and examines the pandemic in forensic detail.

Professor Yang draws the devastating conclusion that the pandemic, which started in late December 2019 with the first known patients in the eastern Chinese city, was not inevitable.

The book examines key events that took place before Wuhan’s lockdown, including how a mass banquet bringing together more than 100,000 people was held on January 18, despite health officials knowing the virus was spreading.

Prof Yang provides an in-depth analysis of who knew what and when about the virus, but barely addresses the origins of Covid-19. The Telegraph reports.

Instead, it looks at the individual heroism witnessed during the pandemic, as well as the flawed decision-making and lack of clarity as officials tried to deal with a mysterious “pneumonia of unknown etiology.”

Professor Yang concludes that the global pandemic, which led to the deaths of an estimated 13.3 to 16.6 million people worldwide, could have been prevented.

“I think there was a meaningful chance that the pandemic could have been prevented,” Prof. Yang, a political scientist at the University of Chicago, told The Telegraph.

The professor believes that Chinese health authorities were dealt “remarkably strong cards” in the early days of the virus outbreak.

“China is a country with significant capabilities, which could have developed knowledge and response more quickly by the end of December 2019,” he added.

But he says any gains were offset by an authoritarian political system unprepared for the emergency.

The pandemic dates back to when several Wuhan doctors at some of China’s top hospitals discovered that a “pneumonia of unknown cause” in the city was showing signs of “human-to-human” transmission.

Experts feared the virus was linked to the SARS coronavirus that ravaged East Asia between 2002 and 2004. One doctor told the local Center for Disease Control (CDC): ‘It’s a disease we’ve never encountered before, it’s also a family [cluster of] infections. Something is definitely wrong!’

The coronavirus was confirmed by Vision Medicals, a laboratory based in Guangzhou, which tested ‘Patient A’ – a 65-year-old man with severe pneumonia and ‘multiple scattered, patchy, weak opacities in both lungs’.

‘Due to the sensitivity of the diagnostic results’, the laboratory only confirmed the positive test result for a SARS-like coronavirus to the hospital by telephone and not in writing.

Doctors found it was 81 percent similar to the first SARS coronavirus outbreak. And screenshots appearing online showed the virus was immediately recognized as something that should be “treated in the same class as the plague” to contain it.

Despite mounting evidence pointing to a possible pandemic, the local CDC was slow to respond.

Gao Fu, the director general of the national CDC, did not report on the Wuhan outbreak on social media until December 30.

And although he acted quickly with emergency measures, the following weeks were marred by errors, censorship and political interests that failed to stop the spread of the virus.

‘The first week of January became a crucial turning point for tackling the outbreak. Just the wrong kind,” the book said. “The lack of action before January 20 was monumental.”

One of the biggest mistakes was failing to respond to several cases in Wuhan that were not linked to the Huanan Seafood Market – the location of the first clusters.

Professor Yang suggests that when the market was closed because of this, people believed the virus was under control and that the virus could spread out of a false sense of security.

Other factors that contributed to the fight against the virus included China’s political tradition of suppressing information to maintain social stability.

‘Clearly a lot [doctors] They are heroes, but if you read between the lines, they also operated within certain limitations,” Professor Yang said.

‘It is clearly not a black and white photo, but shades of gray. Some of the most heroic doctors also happened to be those who might not have spoken out as they could have. It’s a very complicated picture.’

Doctors who did speak out were reprimanded by the police and infections among hospital staff were covered up.

Even as Wuhan moved closer to a lockdown, high-profile events such as the Chinese New Year celebrations were still showcased to try to prove that everything was under control.

It was Taiwanese Dr Chuang Yin-ching who said on January 13, 2020 that the outbreak was much worse than feared. When he returned, Taiwan issued a travel warning for Wuhan and tightened border controls.

But back in Wuhan, the seriousness of the virus continued to be downplayed, leaving it to Dr Zhong Nanshan, 83, a trusted veteran of the first SARS epidemic, to warn that Covid was “certainly transmissible from human to human.”

He confirmed that cases were seen in Beijing, Guangdong, Shanghai and Zhejiang and even abroad in Japan, South Korea and Thailand. At that time, China was alerted and citizens were advised to wear face masks.

However, New Year celebrations continued to take place in Wuhan and Hubei provinces, with residents invited to apply for 200,000 free passes to visit historical sites. Local media praised artists for continuing despite being ill.

By the time Wuhan was sealed off from the rest of the world on January 23, some 500,000 people had left the country for the holidays.

The strategically important Baltic Sea has been dubbed NATO’s Lake after Sweden was allowed to join the military alliance, boosting its power in the region, a nightmare for Vladimir Putin.

The country’s entry into the alliance adds the final piece of the puzzle around the sea’s coasts, which provide a crucial maritime gateway for Russia, making it easier for NATO to exert control and strengthen its vulnerable Baltic states.

Analysts have suggested this means Western allies including Britain and the United States will be well placed to limit Russia’s room for maneuver on the key shipping route if war with Moscow ever breaks out.

But Moscow will still be able to target undersea infrastructure and threaten the region from its bases near St. Petersburg and in the heavily armed exclave of Kaliningrad, with experts warning that NATO must remain alert to the Russian threat.

“If you look at a map, geographically the Baltic Sea is becoming a NATO lake, yes,” said Minna Alander, a researcher at the Finnish Institute for International Affairs. “But there is still work to be done for NATO.”

On Monday, Hungary became the latest NATO member to approve the country’s application to join the alliance from 2022 in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

It was hailed as a “historic day” by Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, while NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg immediately welcomed Hungary’s ratification.

“Sweden’s membership will make us all stronger and safer,” Stoltenberg wrote on X.

‘The parliaments of all NATO member states have now voted in favor of Swedish accession to NATO. Sweden stands ready to assume its responsibility for Euro-Atlantic security,” Kristersson said.

Sweden’s NATO membership was supported by 188 lawmakers in the Hungarian parliament, with 6 against and no abstentions.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s government has faced pressure from NATO allies to stick to the rules and seal Sweden’s entry into the alliance.

After Finland joined last year, the membership of Sweden – which overcame the final hurdle on Monday with Hungary’s vote on ratification – means that all Baltic Sea countries, with the exception of Russia, will be part of the military alliance.

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a series of high-profile incidents involving pipelines and cables under the Baltic Sea have woken NATO up to its vulnerabilities.

In September 2022, a sabotage attack hit the Nord Stream gas pipelines between Russia and Europe. More than a year later, investigators have still not publicly named those responsible.

Then last October, a gas pipeline and a cable from Finland and Sweden to Estonia were damaged. Finnish police believe a Chinese freighter was probably involved.

In response, NATO has increased its naval deployment and wants to expand its monitoring capabilities, but keeping an eye on what’s happening underwater is an important task.

“It is very difficult to have overall control over a sea as you would have control over areas on land,” said Julian Pawlak, a researcher at Germany’s Bundeswehr University in Hamburg.

‘What the Nord Stream sabotages have shown, among other things, is that it remains difficult to know exactly what is happening beneath the surface and on the seabed.’

Sweden has long maintained a close partnership with NATO, but its formal membership allows the country to be fully integrated into the alliance’s defense plans.

Beyond its long Baltic coastline, Sweden brings with it the island of Gotland, which would play a central role in helping NATO impose its will.

But across the water, Russia has its own vital outpost: the Kaliningrad exclave.

Sandwiched between Poland and Lithuania, Moscow has in recent years turned the region into one of Europe’s most militarized areas, with nuclear-capable missiles stationed there.

Russia’s Baltic Fleet, based in Kaliningrad, is a shadow of what it was during the Cold War, and the invasion of Ukraine has removed some of its forces from the region.

But John Deni, a research professor at the US Army War College, said the Kremlin has maintained investments in submarine capabilities and still has the firepower to stage small-scale landings or threaten NATO supply routes.

“In terms of artillery, indirect fire and nuclear weapons, they are better than NATO allies in the region,” Deni said.

“Allies must confront and counter that threat.”

On the other hand, although Stockholm brings with it a rich legacy of maritime history, its naval power in the Baltic Sea, like other NATO states in the area, remains underpowered.

“Even if you include Sweden, NATO’s naval assets are relatively limited,” Deni said, adding that allies need to develop their ability to conduct demining under fire.

Three countries breathing a particular sigh of relief over the accession of Sweden – and Finland – are NATO’s Baltic states, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, long seen as the alliance’s Achilles heel.

War planners are struggling to figure out how to avoid being cut off as Russian land forces seize the 40-mile Suwalki Gap between Belarus and Kaliningrad.

The Swedish position, which straddles both the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, opens an important route for the transit of more NATO troops to protect them in the event of an attack.

“It allows US forces to reinforce the Baltic Sealands in a timely manner, but especially the frontline states,” said Tuuli Duneton, Estonian Deputy Defense Minister.

Despite NATO’s joy at welcoming Sweden into the fold, American academic Deni insisted the alliance had to end because the Baltic Sea was its own property.

“Calling it a ‘NATO lake’ leads to complacency,” Deni said.

“The challenge and threat that Russia poses in the region are in some respects significant and allies currently lack the capacity to meet that in a crisis.”

By Stephen Johnson, economics reporter for Daily Mail Australia

Published: 10:31 PM EST, February 20, 2024 | Updated: 10:46 PM EST, February 20, 2024