Jeremy Corbyn and Miley Cyrus pay tribute to George Michael for LGBT activism
British Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn and pop star Miley Cyrus have paid tribute to George Michael for his LGBT+ activism.
George Michael was found “lying peacefully”, after a heart failure, his manager has said on Monday after the star was found at his home on Christmas Day.
Labour leader Mr Corbyn wrote on Twitter: “Sad to hear that George Michael has died. He was an exceptional artist and a strong supporter of LGBT and workers’ rights.”
Miley Cyrus also paid tribute to the star, writing: “Miss you already! Thank you for your radical activism in the LGBTQ community! Love you always! ”
The former Wham star was found dead at his home in Goring, Oxfordshire, on Christmas Day. He died aged 53.
At the time Thames Valley Police said the star’s death was “unexplained but not suspicious.”
His long-time manager Michael Lippman has spoken out to say he is “devastated” by Michael’s death.
He said he received a phone call on Sunday morning telling him that Michael had been found “in bed, lying peacefully”.
Lippman tells the Hollywood Reporter that there was “no fould play whatsoever”, but that Michael’s death from heart failure was unexpected.
Funeral plans for the star are expected to be announced soon.
Cindi Berger, Michael’s publicist, issued the following statement: “It is with great sadness that we can confirm our beloved son, brother and friend George passed away peacefully at home over the Christmas period.
“The family would ask that their privacy be respected at this difficult and emotional time. There will be no further comment at this stage.”
“Thames Valley Police were called to a property in Goring-on-Thames shortly before 2 p.m. [9 a.m. EST] Christmas Day. Sadly, a 53-year-old man was confirmed deceased at the scene. At this stage the death is being treated as unexplained but not suspicious. A post mortem will be undertaken in due course. There will be no further updates from Thames Valley Police until the post mortem has taken place,” a police statement said.
Back in 2011, the star suffered from pneumonia, cancelling some dates of a tour.
Last year Michael denied allegations made in a Sunday newspaper that he is addicted to crack cocaine.
The allegations were made by Jackie Georgiou, the wife of George’s cousin. She told the tabloid that Michael had been smoking crack before he checked in to a Swiss rehab clinic.
This is not the first time stories regarding the singer’s private life have been sold to the press – in May, a former prison officer who sold “salacious gossip” about inmates including Michael was jailed for 10 months.
Princess Diana came close to accidentally revealing that George Michael is gay before he publicly came out, according to a former royal aide’s autobiography.
