Richard Gere’s most persistent co-star has never appeared in a film with him. It’s a gerbil, courtesy of a baseless rumour that has followed the actor for four decades and is now the subject of a 12-part Hollywood Reporter podcast.
Hosted by journalist Allen Salkin, Gerbil investigates how an allegation with no evidence behind it became a fixture of celebrity gossip and popular culture. South Park even gave the myth its own rodent adventure with Lemmiwinks, the gerbil whose predicament echoed the rumour.
The series draws on six years of reporting to trace where the story began, how it attached itself to Gere, and why it has proved so difficult to dislodge.
Six years investigating a Hollywood rumour
Salkin examined documents and interviewed doctors, Hollywood figures and people connected to the rumour, which alleges Gere was hospitalised in the 1980s to have a gerbil removed from his rectum.
No evidence supports the claim… apparently.
The podcast explores how the story travelled before widespread internet use, why it became associated with Gere and the part celebrity gossip played in keeping it in circulation.
The leading media trade publication in Australia.
Get our top stories straight to your inbox daily by signing up to our Newsletter
Its opening episode follows a tip from the daughter of an emergency department doctor who worked during the 1980s. The second examines a similar rumour that targeted Philadelphia television newsreader Jerry Penacoli in 1985, using interviews and archival recordings to investigate its possible connection to the Gere allegation.
Celebrity, sexuality and reputational damage
Later episodes examine Gere’s early career and public image, with contributions from author Bret Easton Ellis, Hollywood historian and podcaster Karina Longworth, and journalist Michael Gross.
The series considers how his screen roles and status as a Hollywood sex symbol contributed to the environment in which the rumour circulated. It also revisits an archival Howard Stern interview in which Sylvester Stallone was asked whether he had started the allegation.
Another instalment explores Hollywood’s homophobia during the AIDS crisis, including the period following Rock Hudson’s death, and the damage similar rumours caused to other public figures.
The Gere allegation has since been referenced in stand-up comedy and television programs, including the aforementioned South Park, as well as The Simpsons, Family Guy, and The Vicar of Dibley.
By tracing its circulation, Gerbil examines how an unsupported story can become embedded in popular culture and continue to shape perceptions of its subject.
