Terrence Howard Says He’d ‘Cut Off’ His Lips If He Had To Kiss Man, Rejected Marvin Gaye Role To Avoid It

Baila Eve ZismanApril 29, 2025, 2:27 pmNews >

In conversation with Club Random host Bill Maher, Terrence Howard shared what he believed to be the “biggest mistake” he ever made in his career.

In the new episode, Howard explained how he turned down an offer from Smokey Robinson to play him in a biopic because he was in conversation with Lee Daniels about portraying Marvin Gaye in another film at the time.

However, when Howard learned that Daniels planned to explore the layers of the late singer’s sexuality, he pulled out of the project. Howard classified his decision to turn down the role of Robinson as his greatest misstep.

He remembered, “I was over at Quincy Jones’ house and I’m asking Quincy, ‘I’m hearing rumors that Marvin was gay,’ and I’m like, ‘Was he gay?’ And Quincy’s like, ‘Yes.’”

Howard continued about portraying a gay man on screen, “They would’ve wanted to do that, and I wouldn’t have been able to do that.”

Maher clarified, “You mean you couldn’t kiss a guy on screen in a movie?” and Howard replied, “No. Because I don’t fake it, that would f— me. I would cut my lips off. If I kiss some man, I would cut my lips off.”

Howard then claimed, “It does not make me homophobic to not want to kiss a man…I can’t play that character 100 percent. I can’t surrender myself to a place that I don’t understand.”

Howard has received backlash for previous homophobic comments, most recently saying in an April 9 episode of the podcast PBD, “I don’t bend over. I don’t kiss a man. I don’t do gay roles. Because my man card means everything.”

Gaye never confirmed his sexuality while alive. He married two-time Grammy award winner Anna Gordy for 10 years, and Janis Hunter for five years.

In a 2018 interview with Vulture, Jones said Gaye had a relationship with Hollywood star Marlon Brando. “Brando used to go chacha dancing with us,” he said. “He could dance his a– off. He was the most charming motherf— you ever met. He’d f— anything. Anything! He’d f— a mailbox, James Baldwin. Richard Pryor. Marvin Gaye.”

In 2015, Howard’s divorce settlement from his wife, Michelle Ghent, was overturned by a judge after a lengthy legal battle.