EXCLUSIVE: Who Is Cory Bernstein?
Well if you read gossip blogs you would think that Cory is a Former Queer Porn Star/Paris Hilton Ex/Party Boy/Socialite Wannabe, but that is not the case at all. In fact Cory is a down to earth guy who works hard at his modeling career who is just the target of gossip sites much like most of his NY society friends. This weekend the17thman via the phone had a very candid interview with Cory something other gossip websites don’t do or care to do.
When the17thman asked Cory about gossip websites he explained that it all started back around 1997 when a fake site using doctored photos of himself went up. The website which Cory’s people had shut down, used the doctored photos of him and branded him with the name “Dimitri”. Cory freely admits that he once did pose for Playgirl but over time these few pictures along with the fake “Dimitri” pictures have lead to all sorts of gossip and innuendo on the web.
As for the on again off again stories on the gossip blogs Cory says the stories started when he attended a party at the W with DJ AM, Corey Feldman and others. Once those pictures hit the internet, which are posted on Cory’s own MSN fan page, the gossip blogs started to focus on him and it continued to escalate from there.
Cory who has been modeling since he was 15 for high end designers like Versace and Armani continues to work hard on his modeling career and just being himself. After a few minutes of talking to Cory is becomes evidently clear he is not the Cory that the gossip blogs make him out to be. Cory said he is mortified by what is out there. But after talking to friends in the PR industry like Lizzie Grubman he realized that there is not much he can do when the blogs post stuff about him. Cory being Cory just worries about how would all this gossip affect his career and how it would and can hurt his family.
As for the pictures showing him in Chicago during Pride standing next to a guy in a speedo that the gossip blogs use as proof that he is gay Cory states that “the picture was taken out of context.” Yes, he was in Chicago with a bunch of friends, some guy friends and female friends who just walked down to Pride for fun. Cory also points out that there were about a ¼ million people at Pride and that it is funny how the gossipers only point out himself in a crowd of many. As for the picture itself Cory said he doesn’t even know the guys name, a total stranger came up to him and asked for a picture of them together, Cory agreed, then the photo who a friend took was sent to Cory who then posted it on his MSN fan site. Cory stated that “he’ll always allow anyone who asks for a picture of him who asks nicely to have his photo and that he’ll always try to be nice about it.” He went on to say he “feels honored when people ask for his picture.” But when the gossip bloggers take the picture out of context as proof that he was gay, that is not cool. Cory who is not gay but has gay friends states “that it is all lies and they are getting out of control.” And the17thman agrees with Cory on this one.
As for the rumors about him and Colin at the Versace Mansion, Cory stated that he was there but “he doesn’t remember even seeing Colin there.” And the he is working hard to become a model and it’s really bad the way it comes out like this. “People believe what they want but they got to realize that the gossip blogs are all lies. They don’t even know me, they’ve never called me or emailed me about anything. Friends email me these stories and I’m motified. It’s not cool”. After reading the forwarded emails from friends it became clear to him that the people who write the blogs don’t even no him, “No one who knows me writes this” he stated.
Cory then tells the17thman about how one gossip site engineered a fake press release and posted online. “There was fake press release on one site about me and a WB Show. I did not send the press release up the press release took stuff from my MSN fan site and twisted what I said and then added lies.” Which the17thman is true, Cory did not send out the press release that was posted online because he had a confidentiality agreement with the WB. If Cory had sent said press release the WB could have sued him.
Now with all that said the17thman has learned a valuable lesson himself, “don’t believe everything you read on the internet, until you ask the person the gossip is about”. After talking to Cory I will admit I do believe him, I can honestly say that he seemed like a down to earth guy who is probably more candid and willing to dispel gossip than he should be. Cory took a chance to call a guy who he has never met to set the facts straight. No public relations assistant calling me back with “no comment” and “no comment” this was Cory himself being honest and upfront. Yes, the17thman understands that Cory could be lying to him but he had more to lose than gain from talking to me and he did talk to me leaving me to believe him than over any gossip blog. So thank you Cory for being upfront with me. Of course now the17thman is sure this will only add fodder to the gossip fires but the17thman has read all the gossip blogs including his own and felt the time was right to step up to his responsibility and talk to Cory himself.
Thank You All!
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