Death & Heartbreak: George Michael’s First Romance Ended In Tragedy Amid Aids Epidemic
July 25 2019, Published 3:42 p.m. ET
George Michael rose to the top of the music charts with his 1980s hits, briefly outselling giants such as Madonna, Prince, and even Michael Jackson. At one point in his career, he was outed as homosexual, and lost a part of his fanbase. His music, however, was able to surpass his personal drama and he was adored by millions until his life was cut short at age 53 due to mysterious causes.
He was found dead inside his home on Christmas Day 2016, by his boyfriend at the time, Australian hair stylist Fadi Fawaz.
Fawaz was not the only man in Michael’s life, however. REELZ’s new docuseries, The Price of Fame: George Michael, takes a deep dive into the “Careless Whisper” singer’s behind-the-scenes love affairs, sexuality scandals, and heartbreak.
“When he played rock in Rio, Brazil, at the righthand side of the stage he saw a man that caught his eye,” recalls Classic Pop Magazine’s Rik Flynn.
That man was Anselmo Feleppa, a Brazilian dress designer.
“It’s just fairy stories. He looks out into the crowd while he’s onstage and he sees him, they make eye contact, and then meets him much later, in the hotel lobby. And they have this fantastic whirlwind romance, which actually looks like it’s going to be something more serious,” says Culture Club backup singer Zee Asha.
“He fell in love and that was worth everything,” recalls Wham! manager Simon Napier-Bell.
But unfortunately for Michael, his romance with Feleppa ended in tragedy, when Feleppa died of an "Aids-related illness" in 1993.
The Price of Fame: George Michael airs Sunday, July 28 at 10 ET/ PT on REELZ.
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