Selleck Sues Globe Tabloid, Says Story Depicts Him as Homosexual

Actor Tom Selleck filed a $20-million libel and invasion of privacy lawsuit Wednesday against the Globe supermarket tabloid after his name appeared in an article titled “ ‘Gay’ Stars Stop Traffic.”

The item, published in the July 2 issue, lists a number of celebrities whose pictures appeared on placards posted around New York City. Under some of the photos was the statement, “Absolutely Queer.”

The lawsuit said the story brought “hatred, contempt, ridicule and obloquy” to Selleck.

It said the Globe story was intended to “injure plaintiff with respect to his family relations, reputation, character, profession, trade or business.” The suit seeks $20 million in general damages and unspecified punitive damages.

Selleck played a detective on CBS-TV’s “Magnum, P.I.” for six years. He appeared in the movie hit “Three Men and a Baby” and its sequel.

A publicist for Selleck said in a statement that the Globe “republished false statements made by an anonymous group which falsely creates the impression that he is ‘gay.’ ”

Globe Editor Wendy Henry, reached by telephone at Globe International Inc. in Boca Raton, Fla., said the article was “a news report of a perfectly factual story. That’s really all we can say.”

Selleck said the story was ridiculous.

“I am as proud of my sexual preference as those who happen to be gay are of theirs,” Selleck said in a statement. “There is not a man who has lived on the face of the Earth in my lifetime who can truthfully deny what is so obviously my choice; that is, that I am singularly heterosexual.”

Selleck noted that he is married with a daughter, and that he raised a son in a first marriage.