John Barrowman accused of shouting ‘show me your ass’ at gay journalist
John Barrowman at the National Television Awards 2020 (David M. Benett/Getty)
John Barrowman has been accused of shouting “show me your ass” at a gay man at an event in 2008.
Writing for the i, journalist Adam Bloodworth claimed Barrowman made the comment while he was waiting by a stage door at an event where the actor was performing.
In his article, Bloodworth claimed the actor “maintained eye contact” as he made the comment, “which felt even creepier.”
Bloodworth wrote: “He seemed aware of how he had made everyone around him feel, including me.”
Reflecting on his experience, Bloodworth told PinkNews he was recently reminded by a friend that Barrowman also asked him: “Are you this cheeky in bed?” during the same exchange.
Gay man was ‘shocked’ by John Barrowman comment
“The incident shocked me – but I forgot about it afterwards until the allegations started surfacing recently.
“I’m lucky that I felt that way, as for other people I’d imagine his words could have provoked feelings of anxiety or stress, or even led to trauma.”
He continued: “It’s shocking and worrying that he felt so comfortable in himself that asking to see my ass on the street felt like a reasonable comment to make, even if it was a joke.
“As I say in my article, a joke doesn’t excuse abusive behaviour – his words could really damage and effect people and there shouldn’t be double standards, one rule for queer people and one rule for straight people. A joke doesn’t make it any less creepy.”
Bloodworth is glad people are starting to draw attention to Barrowman’s inappropriate behaviour, but he wants the conversation to go much further than simple condemnation.
There are “countless reasons” people like Barrowman “act the way they do”, Bloodworth said – and it’s important that the queer community start thinking about what those reasons might be.
“For queer people, we can project trauma from our own pasts onto other people,” Bloodworth said.
“A psychologist called Cath Foster told me, ‘For some people, previous experiences of trauma can inform behaviours and their ability to see and understand boundaries.’
“So it is essential that we try to understand the reasons why men like Barrowman may say things like this – the reasons why men in particular feel the need to perform in such ways – so we can try to stop more instances like this happening in the future.
“The best way we can do that is by having conversations about why this sort of behaviour happens, and where it comes from in the first place.”
Adam Bloodworth. (Provided)
PinkNews has contacted a representative for John Barrowman for comment.
Bloodworth’s comments come just weeks after Barrowman apologised for “tomfoolery” on the set of Doctor Who after a resurfaced video from 2015 showed actor Noel Clarke claiming the actor had a habit of exposing himself on set.
In the video, Clarke – who has been accused of sexual misconduct by 20 women, claims he denies – said Barrowman would “take his d**k out every five seconds” and asked co-star Camille Coduri whether she remembered the time he “put it on your shoulder in the makeup truck”.
She replied: “Yes, I do.”
In a statement to The Guardian, Barrowman apologised for his “high-spirited behaviour”, saying it was “only ever intended in good humour to entertain colleagues on set and backstage”.
He claimed he later came to understand that his actions upset colleagues, but insisted that his behaviour was not sexually charged.
Barrowman said he changed his behaviour after Doctor Who producer Julie Gardner reprimanded him in 2008.
“Since my apology in November 2008, my understanding and behaviour have also changed,” Barrowman said.
