Michael Porter Jr. is back on the air! He recently spoke with Jason Lee who hosts Hollywood Unlocked podcast and other celebrity interview shows.
As one might expect, there was immediate controversy.
The promo for the show highlighted, “Jason and Mike open up about sexuality, religion, the LGBTQ+ community, masculinity, transgender relationships, and how their own perspectives have evolved over time.”
There were other topics in the near-two hour conversation, but the comments about sex drew the most interest online, specifically how he disclosed to Lee, who is openly gay, that he’s opposed to gay sex. Porter Jr. also admitted that he “kicked it” with a transsexual woman in Taiwan but said didn’t realize she was trans because gender-altering surgeries in Asia ”are so good.”
Here’s the full interview:
The comments that drew the most attention began with Porter Jr. describing himself as “overly straight” as “a Christian man.” Lee then asked Porter Jr. to explain himself, which led to discussion about whether engaging in gay sex means an automatic ticket to hell.
KillaKreww, another popular podcaster, tweeted out the video…
Then, MPJ admitted he “kicked it around” for an hour with a transgender influencer Xiao A La in Taiwan, saying he didn’t know she was tran because “over there, the surgeries are so good.” The encounter had been captured on camera in August of last year, then went viral.
MPJ also told Lee transgender women should disclose their status “upfront…”
In a more conventional comment, MPJ said he’s thinking of settling down with a woman: “Uh, actually I don’t have a girlfriend right now, but the next girlfriend I have is going to be wifey and I’m loyal to her,” Porter Jr. revealed. He also said he is currently a “celibate young man.”
Porter Jr.’s comments were widely picked up by national media on Tuesday, in part because previous podcast appearances got the Nets attention and criticism.
He noted in one podcast a year ago that when dating, he would “test girls” on “their beliefs” by playing them audio of Andrew Tate, whose entire persona revolves around toxic masculinity. Tate is currently fighting extradition from the U.S. to the U.K., where he and his brother face a total of 59 criminal charges, including rape and human trafficking for sexual exploitation.
He also spoke back then about the WNBA. On one hand he’s advocated for women players, specifically saying how shoe companies should create signature sneakers for women players, even playing in Breanna Stewart’s brand. On the other, he’s also questioned whether WNBA players should get tangible rewards, like equal pay.
Porter Jr. and Sean Marks both said last September that he and the Nets staff had had discussions and that the Nets had advised him to “steer clear” of specific topics, as Porter described them.
Marks had noted on Media Day that indeed the Nets had made it clear to him in a meeting that they were not happy and had made Porter aware where the organization drew the line on “certain issues and topics.”
The seven-year veteran is of course in the middle of extension talks, hoping to stay with the Nets beyond this season when he will make $40.8 million. He averaged 24.2 points, 7.1 rebounds and five assists. He also won praise for his role in mentoring the team’s rookies last year.
NetsDaily contacted the Nets seeking comment, but didn’t receive a response. Were the topics he discussed with Lee among those the team wanted him to avoid or seen simply as his personal thoughts and opinions? It would seem that it would fall in the latter category.
