Neil Milan slams journalist Dan Wootton over response to George Shelley coming out

There was happy news this morning as Union J’s George Shelley opened up about his sexuality in a touching online video, revealing he’s had both boyfriends and girlfriends and that he’s now “less afraid” of being himself in public – but the news has sparked controversy online after Clean Bandit’s Neil Milan clashed with showbiz journalist Dan Wootton over the latter’s ‘well duh’ response.

Wootton – who previously drew public ire after running ‘Hollywood HIV scare’ story in the days before Charlie Sheen’s public announcement about his HIV status – tweeted that Shelley had “done a Tom Daley”, but that the young singer’s sexuality had “long been known in the showbiz industry”.

George Shelley’s done a Tom Daley and come out as bisexual, something that’s long been known in the showbiz industry https://t.co/Tg4hUukxGZ

— Dan Wootton (@danwootton) February 3, 2016

Neil Milan was just one of many who called out Wootton on his smug response, denouncing it as “patronising and unpleasant” and questioning why there’s “always someone” who reacts to coming out news in such a way.

After Wootton fired back that Neil’s opinion was “no more valid” than his, the Rather Be hitmaker – whose own sexuality was thrust into the spotlight during the course of his relationship with Years & Years’ Olly Alexander – accused him of being “wrongly dismissive of the power and individuality of any such statements”, before criticising his “sneering” tone and suggesting he display some caution in the light of the Charlie Sheen incident.

this is such a patronising and unpleasant response why is there always someone who says it https://t.co/Zt98A01lNg

— Neil Milan (@neil_milan) February 3, 2016

@danwootton i’m not sure that any of what you just said had anything to do with what I said. I just think the ‘I already knew’ response is

— Neil Milan (@neil_milan) February 3, 2016

@danwootton wrongly dismissive of the power and individuality of any such statements, and has a sneeringly homophobic tone.

— Neil Milan (@neil_milan) February 3, 2016

@danwootton well I think it’s important that the statements of people with access to the kind of platform that you have are scrutinised.

— Neil Milan (@neil_milan) February 3, 2016

@danwootton and if your coverage of Charlie Sheen’s HIV diagnosis is anything to go by then I think some introspection and caution in your

— Neil Milan (@neil_milan) February 3, 2016

@danwootton discussion of *anything* in the mainstream media might not be a bad thing.

— Neil Milan (@neil_milan) February 3, 2016

In response, Wootton tweeted that the BRIT award-winner was being “over-sensitive”, and was preventing open discussion of sexuality in the media.

@neil_milan Respectfully, that’s over sensitive. And using the homophobic term is ridiculous.

— Dan Wootton (@danwootton) February 3, 2016

@neil_milan Comments like yours make it v difficult for me as a gay man in the mainstream media to discuss anything regarding sexuality.

— Dan Wootton (@danwootton) February 3, 2016

Neil wasn’t the only one to take a pop at The Sun’s head of showbiz though: After Wootton tweeted that it was “sad” that boyband members still felt like tey had to hide their sexuality, Pop Justice’s Peter Robinson had this to say:

@danwootton That’s true but isn’t a lot of it down to the past and sometimes present behaviour of showbiz writers?

— Peter Robinson (@Popjustice) February 3, 2016

Whatever you make of the furore, let’s all celebrate that fact that another prominent young figure has been brave enough to take the plunge publicly – you can check out George’s video in full below:

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