Melissa Etheridge is plucking my last nerve lately. The last we heard from her, she was throwing shade on Angelina Jolie for not being “brave” by choosing to have genetic cancer screening and then preemptively opting for a double mastectomy. Yes Melissa is a breast cancer survivor, but that’s no excuse for fronting like her struggle was the only option to deal with cancer. She also seemed to suggest that cancer victims could control the course of the disease with diet and stress-relief.
In this latest story, Melissa is engaged to her partner of three years, Linda Wallem, following DOMA’s historic overturn. This will be Melissa’s second marriage, sort of. She was symbolically married to her last partner and the mother of two of her children, Tammy Lynn Michaels, in a lavish commitment ceremony in 2003. Only Tammy Lynn and Melissa never “officially” married during the window of time when it was legal in California. The two broke up in 2010 after Tammy Lynn figured out Melissa was cheating on her with mutual friend Linda. Melissa didn’t want to pay child support, alimony or any kind of settlement to Tammy Lynn, who gave up an acting career to raise their twins. She was eventually court-ordered to pay 50% of her music royalties and child support, although Tammy Lynn would have been entitled to half of all of Melissa’s earnings during their marriage if it had been legal.
All of that is preface to this story that hypocrite Melissa is celebrating DOMA’s overturn with an engagement. Congratulations to her, but she’s not exactly the poster women for gay marriage.
“It is about family and I love my four kids,” Etheridge, 52, said. “I called my now-fiancee. I’m looking forward to marrying my partner of three years . . . I’m going to get married in the state of California. I woke [the kids] up this morning telling them the Supreme Court ruling on DOMA. . .I love everybody out there. It’s a great day.”
Etheridge added, “Love is love and America is beautiful. . . It’s just an amazing, amazing day. I’m proud to be an American.”
The singer — known for hits like “Come to My Window” and “I’m the Only One” — also shared her engagement news via Twitter. “I look forward to exercising my American civil liberties and getting fully, completely and legally married this year to my true love of over three years, Linda Wallem,” she wrote.
Well, Melissa didn’t really want those civil liberties to kick in when it came to treating her ex, the mother of two of her kids, fairly. During her split she was more than happy to take advantage of the fact that they were never legally married. Full equal rights work both ways, not just when they’re convenient. Valid question: will Melissa get a prenup this time?
I am no longer a fan of Melissa. Her treatment of her Ex and her shady comment towards Jolie was very revealing about her true character. The words arrogant and selfish come to mind.
Have to agree with you 1000%!
Not a fan anymore. The way she treated her ex and her comments about Angelina are so revealing!!
+1
Same here. Not wanting to pay child-support after cheating.
Agreed.
Melissa is proof that being a miserable human being crosses all lines.
Yep, I said basically the same below.
I agree! I’ve recently divorced and getting back into dating has really made me jaded about men. But Melissa shows that women can be douches too.
Yes, “douche” is exactly the word that came to mind when I read this. What a piece of work.
man, no kidding… i don’t really follow her, but damn, what i’m reading isn’t what i thought she was about..
I wouldn’t want to be with someone who did an ex and her own children like that.
I think she really is a OLD white man, deep inside. She’s a grumpy odd bird. Half Fox news anchor, half rockstar lesbian (half steven segal, wtf w/ her clothes) .
Idk- I dont trust her
LMAO. “grumpy” indeed!
LOL yes, Steven called and he wants his kimono thingy back!
So gay people are just like straight people. Some are douches and some aren’t.
Of course she’ll get a prenup. Now it’s real, folks.
With her track record (two failed relationships with children involved), I bet she’ll get a pre-nup ’cause like Bluhare said “Now it’s real”. Now the courts can bite her ass if this one goes south.
Run, Linda Wallem, run.
Well maybe she and Paula can be great friends.
I don’t like her and just as she has the right to not like someone’s personal choice. I have the right to not like the way she did her family.
im thinking a reality show with paula and serena
Did we ever get Melissas sidae of that breakup? All I remember is Tammy going on some insane PR frenzy complete with poetry about a box of d*ldos. Could be that Melissa thought she was asking for too much and took a hardball strategy in court. Just saying that we cant know since she didnt engage in the PR battle.
Not true. She did interviews. In every one she stated that the split was amicable and mutual and she was taking care of her children and their mother, when, in fact she had already canceled her ex’s access to their mutual funds. I was such a fan of hers, but the way she treated the woman who stood by her while she was fighting for her life, the way she treated the woman who let go of her own career to raise their children, is just disgusting. She did her and the children so wrong.
+1
Gay or straight, everyone should be able to be with the one they love. Still, Melissa seems to me to be in love with the Idea of love! I guess when she grows tired of you, she cheats. That’s not love, that’s disrespect, plain and simple.
Melissa is a malignent narcissit.
Linda looks a lot like Melanie Griffith to me! I wish her well. Melissa doesn’t seem like the best person to be married to.
I would never trust Melissa to be with one person for too long. She is just too needy in my opinion and she treated Tammy crassly as well.
Melissa is a great example of just because you can doesn’t mean you should. Gay or straight marriage isn’t for everyone.
Excellent point.
This sums it up right here.
Her girlfriend looks in the first pic like she could be a family relation to Carla Gugino a little bit. Maybe the eyes?
Yes! I was trying to workout who she reminded me of.
Melissa did indeed go on PR diatribes against Tammy. Tammy posted on her own blog – you don’t have to like her writing style but it is her blog – which she’s taken down, and which I miss – and her writings were often beautiful. She actually wrote rarely and briefly about the breakup, and more about her childhood, friends, family, and losses. Before the breakup, her writings were those of a person in love with her partner and who took great joy and pride in the warm home she created. Tammy is a gifted actress and sharp comedienne (see “Popular,” the tv series on which she shone). She stopped acting so as to devote herself to ME and their twins. I hope she may resume her career, or find another career she enjoys – and live a life free of heartless people like Melissa. .
I agree about Tammy. She was great in Popular. She absolutely gave up on a promising acting career to raise their kids. Melissa behaved ridiculously trying to keep Tammy from getting any money after their split.
Marriage between two people, straight or gay is about love and commitment. It thankfully includes that after divorce it means financial support to the partner with less money (over simplifying it).
Melissa took total advantage of the fact that she wasn’t legally married to her former partner and mother of her children. Shame on her. She can’t do that anymore with this new partner.
Another good solid reason that gay marriage should have been legalised a long time ago.
Wasn’t there some sketchiness with her breakup with her relationship before Tammy, the woman she had her first two kids with? All I really remember was David Crosby was the sperm donor and the family pictures Rolling Stone or some other magazine did
I believe the other woman decided she wasn’t a lesbian after living as a lesbian for years.
It’s the other way around. She left her husband, Lou Diamond Phillips, for Melissa.
Yes wife #1 was previously Lou Diamond Philips’ wife. They broke up because during couples counseling, wife #1 kept saying she’s not gay or something like that. Melissa took that to town about how devastated and betrayed she felt afterwards.
Well I guess she wasn’t too devastated when she dumped Tammy and left her destitute.
I think, and I’m often wrong but I think the first one didn’t know they had broken up until Melissa went public with another relationship.
wow, that’s classy. Etheridge just proves that woman can be douches too.
http://www.salon.com/2001/07/25/coming_out/
@siobhan: Thanks for that article! :^)
siobhan thank you for posting that link.
It’s great that they can legally get married, but given the crappy way Melissa treats people, I’m surprised anyone wants to marry her. Good luck to this new lady, she’ll probably get screwed over in a few years too.
I don’t like her anymore. She needs a pre-nup and she has to be back out on the road to support all the kids she has. Her big earning days are over, and her fortune has dwindled due to two split-ups. We’ll see how that plays out down the road.
I’m so disgusted with this woman I could probably bite right through cement while thinking about her.
Shame on you Melissa, you selfish deadbeat. Support your damn kids.
She is a horrible advocate for the gay community. BTW, this is her THIRD marriage, or long term relationship, whatever it is. She had two relationships prior with children from both. Everyone forgets about the woman who left Lou Diamond Phillips for Melissa. They had david crosby’s kids and were together for a long time.
I came on to comment about Melissa’s relationship with Julie Cypher, Lou Diamond’s wife. They were Melissa’s next door neighbor and they began an affair while Julie was still married. So Melissa clearly covets what she sees and when she is bored with her current, she cheats with someone close.
She sucks. That’s pretty much all I have to say about that.
Side note: I didn’t read her comments on controlling cancer with diet and stress-relief, but I just wanted to throw out there, it’s not really as crazy as it sounds. There has been a lot of research to show that what you eat actually can control cancer cell growth (to an extent.) Of course, that’s not to say that it’s the only thing that does, but it’s also not so crazy it should be scoffed at. Anyone interested should look into The China Study. Super interesting!
Yeah, I was a little miffed about the cancer/diet comment. By now, there is absolutely no denying that diet can negatively and positively affect cancer.
Melissa said cancer was caused by negativity and if people would quit being negative they wouldn’t get cancer.
So yeah, she’s a piece of crap.
My father, the kindest, most positive human being I’ve ever encountered, was felled by cancer. According to Melissa, it was his fault because he was negative. So yeah – she can pretty much eff right off.
Melissa just seems like an awful person. I could care less about her happiness or whatever. It’s hard to root for her when she’s such an asshole to people.
Does her fiancée have a glass eye?
She is a very ugly woman – inside – she is extremely judgmental, full of herself, and not particularly nice – kind of trash actually!
someone ASKED Melissa what she thought of Angelina’s surgery. everyone’s entitled to their own opinion. i don’t even think it’s fair to suggest that she threw her shade: she suggested that a huge sugery may not always be appropriate for everyone. it annoys me when people say something, ie the ‘brave’ comment,and it’s taken way out of context just to make some news.
gay people are allowed to fall out of love. gay people are allowed to not want to give all of their money away to an ex-partner when clearly the ex is asking for way more than is reasonable to care for the children. gay people are allowed to fall in love again.
i’m not a huge Melissa fan, although i do enjoy some songs. i just don’t agree to taking things out of context and villifying a person when we don’t have all of the details. even if what she said came off as ignorant, it clearly wasn’t intended to slight all cancer patients anywhere.
Why do you keep saying Gay people? why extract that from what the comments are, nobody’s referring to her sexuality.
Gay or straight, man or woman…She has acted like an assh*le to her ex’s and made really unnecessarily rude judgmental comments about someone else’s personal health choice.
None of which has anything to do with her being a gay woman…just a human being that seems to be coming across as a really unevolved one.
I don’t care about her opinion about preemptive surgery. She has a right to state her opinion and no one here disputed that right.
Her bullshit about cancer being caused by negativity is why people around here ripped on her.
Me no like.
She is a repulsive woman. Her arrogance has no end. She’ll jump on the wagon and get married asap to garner as much publicity as she can, not because she cares about being married. She’s not getting married to “share” anything. She’ll have an iron clad pre-nup that mitigates any harm to her financially.
She needs to get some sunglasses that fit.
She is disgusting
Melissa is an old, dried up, hitless has been. She is irrelevant and should bury her head in a bush somewhere. They should call her gardener since she pays for bushes.
She seems like a pretty awful person
“She’s not exactly the poster woman for gay marriage”
Now there’s another side to gay marriage I hadn’t thought about…the divorces. Once gay marriage is pretty much universally legal the divorces are going to start rolling in providing the gossip columnists and bloggers with a rich new vein of material.
Melissa had better get a pre nup and I bet she will. She got off lightly with Tammy Lyn and proved what a heartless b she really is. Her comments about Angelina and her high and mighty attitude are just disturbing. Yes diet can help with cancer but it can not CURE it. My brother died of cancer and they did the diet thing which seriously was like punishment for the poor guy he lived a little longer but if you have cancer don’t rely on one of these diets to cure it it doesn’t! If it did we wouldn’t have so many cancer related deaths. Seems Melissa like to cheat and if she has done it before she will do it again. I think Tammy is way better off without her.
Never been a fan. Still not a fan. She comes across as pretty selfish and self centered.
Melissa is way overdue for a big ole dose of KARMA.
She won my sympathy after the Julie Cypher incident, but I’ve long since come to my senses. The observation above that Melissa is a grumpy old conservative man inside a gay women’s body is spot on.
She seems like an A-hole. If she invited me to her window I’d throw a rock through it.
I was so disappointed in Melissa when I heard about the break up with Tammy, trying to cheat Tammy & the kids out of what they would have received had the “marriage” been legal, and the fact that she cheated on Tammy & their kids ( I agree with Chris Rock when he says if you cheat on the mother of your children, you are cheating on your kids too)! Melissa has proven she is hardly a role model for marriage & the preservation of the family. I wish she would just keep her mouth shut when it comes to talking about gay marriage…she has embarrassed those of us in the LGBT community who do believe marriage is about sticking it out & honoring the commitment. She looks like a hypocrite. She has lost my respect & me as a fan. I have no desire to see her in concert anymore. I think she needs to retire & be quiet. I no longer value her as a spokesperson for LGBT issues since her behavior has revealed a lack of integrity and only gives our opponents more reason to not take us seriously. Obviously I am very disappointed & disgusted by her handling of her private life. I think if you are going to represent a group of people like the LGBT community as we fight for marriage equality you should hold yourself to a higher standard of behavior. Her behavior just helps the opposition prove their point that we are a promiscuous group who don’t really understand what marriage is about. Stop getting married Melissa! You are obviously not well suited for it!
Excellent post!
I was so disappointed in Melissa when I heard about the break up with Tammy, trying to cheat Tammy & the kids out of what they would have received had the “marriage” been legal, and the fact that she cheated on Tammy & their kids ( I agree with Chris Rock when he says if you cheat on the mother of your children, you are cheating on your kids too)! Melissa has proven she is hardly a role model for marriage & the preservation of the family. I wish she would just keep her mouth shut when it comes to talking about gay marriage…she has embarrassed those of us in the LGBT community who do believe marriage is about sticking it out & honoring the commitment. She looks like a hypocrite. She has lost my respect & me as a fan. I have no desire to see her in concert anymore. I think she needs to retire & be quiet. I no longer value her as a spokesperson for LGBT issues since her behavior has revealed a lack of integrity and only gives our opponents more reason to not take us seriously. Obviously I am very disappointed & disgusted by her handling of her private life. I think if you are going to represent a group of people like the LGBT community as we fight for marriage equality you should hold yourself to a higher standard of behavior. Her behavior just helps the opposition prove their point that we are a promiscuous group who don’t really understand what marriage is about. Stop getting married Melissa! You are obviously not well suited for it!
She is disgusting to treat someone she supposedly loved and her own children that way.
Funny how she’s suddenly so thrilled by gay marriage yet she used it to her advantage at the time that it WASN’T legal to screw over her partner.
See you Next Tuesday, if there ever was one.
I hate when celebs say “I’m marrying my true love” when its like their third marriage. I realize this would be her first legal marriage, but of her two previous long term “commited” relationships, its a slap in the face. Example Charlie Sheen, said that about Brooke, look how that turned out.