Current Affair (Feb 13, 1989) - Billy Tipton's 60 Year Secret

Current Affair correspondent Mike Watkiss reports on Billy Tipton's surprising secret, discovered only after his death.
Interviews with:
Billy's ex-wife - Kitty Oakes
two of their three sons - John Clark and Billy Tipton, Jr.
and
two of Billy's friends - John Reed and Mike Brandon

[@subzerogamess]

God bless Billy Tipton, he was a living legend

[@coallie]

Really interesting to watch this coverage from this time, just never seems to occur to anyone that Billy was most likely more comfortable living as a man for more reasons than just music.

[@TahtahmesDiary]

If he was allowed to live life, there would have been no "deceprion". Let people like Billy LIVE!

[@robynsegg]

I missed this show... A Current Affair was the shiznit back in the day!

[@ryanreedgibson]

Povich must of been born looking old. He looks the same now.

[@renataburr]

This video was made 35 years ago in 1989. So I'd say Maury is ancient or dead now.

[@AutumnRainLand]

HE must have been through hell having to hide that from HIS family. I really feel for HIM. 😢😢😢

[@kathybennett2486]

How did she do that without shoving it down everybody’s throat??? Oh wait, it wasn’t anyone’s business.

[@mr.x2567]

@@kathybennett2486then calling him a HIM shouldn’t be a big deal for you if you think it’s no big deal to be trans.

[@EinkleinerVogel]

She was never a he, and to live such a Iie was a choice made by her, herself. It is nonsense to feel sad for something that she chose to hide, it was a choice.

[@EinkleinerVogel]

​​@@mr.x2567It is when it is reality-denialism, she was a she and to call her a "he" is similar to call a bird an elephant.

[@averyfilix7114]

@@EinkleinerVogel Except HE successfully lived HIS life as a man for over 60 years. HE was a man and you are a bigot.

[@AngieCurl]

This is a throwback!

[@patrickpatel5527]

I can’t believe his wife didn’t know.

[@Cmonman-oh1cf]

So after 20 years of marriage, ma'am, and this might sound like a silly question. But does your husband have a penis? I don't know Wtf?

[@Cmonman-oh1cf]

She thinks the perfect husband is a man who doesn't have sex for over 20 yrs Must be a biden supporter like 99% of this thread The mental illness here is insane

[@racheldoesacrylic4089]

i agree how can you live with someone for over 20yrs and not know their down stairs region ??? oh come on x

[@racheldoesacrylic4089]

i understand if you are not sleeping together then yep you could hide it , and i should have watched that part of interview sorry x

[@DoubeEdged7]

They never had intercourse

[@Lord38Gzzz]

Yo Maury looked like he was 65 in 1989 lmfao

[@carpediem4887]

Maury has always been 65

[@TheActualCathal]

Insane that ive never heard of this before.

[@tulayamalavenapi4028]

Here from Bob Dylan's Theme Time Radio Hour....he mentions the book about Billie. "Suits Me"..thanks for this.very historical video.much appreciated.

[@haveyouseenthis516]

You're welcome. Thanks for commenting.

[@racheldoesacrylic4089]

sex really is not everything to alot of people ,its great when your young etc but as you age things can go wrong in those departments that's why friendship ,love empathy etc are more important the older you get x he was a great performer so who really cares ,RIP Billy xxx

[@Danger-he3bf]

Notice how it wasn’t his entire personality, and nobody cared

[@MiMiLock58]

because they didn't know and he probably would've died if they did

[@mleshoestar777]

I don't feel he presented male for the art, perhaps he was able to excel as a happy by-product. It is lovely when his family recalls to Billy as father & him. I would be interested in hearing a more progressive biography of Billy Tipton

[@axofbrevity]

theres a film about him called No Ordinary Man if you're interested

[@ms.chocolatecandy]

Dorothy was a great musician!

[@Arkano_The.God.Of.Hells-666]

*𝗕𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘆

[@ms.chocolatecandy]

@ No, Dorothy.

[@catamescatames]

Billy Tipton you will always be famous

[@theoblongbox4909]

Watching this, I presume she probably thought he was secretly gay and hiding it and that's why there was no sexual stuff. I think she was content to be a "beard" of sorts or have a "lavender marriage." I don't think your mind automatically goes to 'transgender' in a situation like this.

[@MS-bb3bj]

He was beyond almost the perfect father, keep the marriage and family happy, and as a woman proof women are capable as men in that working area

[@deedeetaylor124]

The wife had to know, had an understanding or they were both before their time. she didn't answer "how you didn't know, you was married to him"? He was married about three times. The women he married had to know something. It's sad, but Billy Tipton got to enjoy a part of his life. How did he get away with it? He had to change his name, etc. I pulled up AI: "Billy Tipton was never legally married, but he did live with five women over the course of his life. These women referred to themselves as Mrs. Tipton, although they were unaware of his assigned sex at birth1. His relationships were complex, and some of his partners had varying degrees of understanding about his gender identity". He was never married. I wonder if parent/family knew, they had to see him on TV.

[@joeydepalmer4457]

She was married to him for 20 years and sure she did not know! i think she did not want to admit her as being

[@ms.chocolatecandy]

Billy ATE all his meals.

[@lindacrowley1405]

Good job billy!!

[@isitoveryet9525]

Lmao “Good job” 🥴

[@racheldoesacrylic4089]

4/26 is the interviewer wearing eye liner ?suit you sir hahahah

[@kimmoore0427]

He and his wife never had sex and adopted children. HOW??? And his wife didnt know? Pleez

[@GrimmEnt.]

I'm guessing he and his wife didn't have a physical relationship.

[@denisebacher5040]

She says that in the video

[@scully0105]

Billy was always a man, a Transman

[@EinkleinerVogel]

So a woman.

[@Cmonman-oh1cf]

You cannot change your gender Wtf are you smoking?

[@hamzterix]

*a women

[@gunnerowen3243]

A woman

[@lwo7736]

Look at all these real thinkers in the replies. Funny how no one called him a woman till they found a vagina... does that tell you something about gender? No, of course it doesn't, you've already decided vagina = woman

[@nelliecooke3145]

It’s sad that someone so talented had to go through that…..but all you had to do is look at the face to know she was a woman or to think she was a gay man😳

[@hamzterix]

100% I don't know how many missed that!

[@racheldoesacrylic4089]

she did not want to go hospital when suffering with stomach pains because the secret would come out i presume , in a way it cost her her life because a bleeding ulcer could be treated in the 1980s x

[@PepperWilliams_songcovers]

Apparently, they never had sex!

[@EinkleinerVogel]

She apparently told her wives that her genitaIs were injured in a car accident.

[@denisebacher5040]

Did you not catch that in the video where she says they didn’t? That Billy said her genitals were crushed and she didn’t want sex so it worked for her not to have sex.

[@consciousawakening8092]

Its been going on for years and years. . When you lived in a man’s world, she became that man

[@kizziebass7707]

I don't know how the wives couldn't tell. I just don't believe it. Billy still looked like a woman.

[@jodaniels8097]

They're lying. The "wife" is flipped also from birth. Btw its all of them. G2G Poncho Pete channel 👍

[@libertarian100]

Just Like Justine Bieber .

[@hamzterix]

😂😂😂

[@sinbadsailor1963]

She didn't look very manly. She wouldn't have fooled me.

[@EinkleinerVogel]

Yes, she still looked like a woman. An elderly woman.

[@Cmonman-oh1cf]

Looks like a militant lesbian to me

[@theoblongbox4909]

A lot of men have delicate features and don't look manly at all. lol.

[@hamzterix]

agree

[@scilines]

He fooled literally everyone else, but sure, I guess you’re special. 🙄You’re noticing things about him bc you already know he’s trans.

[@hitsujihonyaku]

image ur dad being ur mom

[@hamzterix]

My hat off for that woman. She went through a lot. The best we can do is to accept her story as a woman who fought her way as a men. To call her a men is undoing her work.

[@axofbrevity]

calling him a woman is misgendering him. his work is his own and not a result of his gender.

[@hamzterix]

@axofbrevity I am not delusional enough to BS myself. Even the first responders called her a female.

[@martinddhyj]

@@axofbrevityCalling her a man is misgendering.