Gawker Outs Matt Drudge, Who Then Has Meltdown

Matt Drudge, the creator and editor of the news aggregation website the Drudge Report, recently had a meltdown after the gossip site Gawker took a shot at his sexual orientation.

The Observer reports that Drudge posted a link to Gawker's story that claimed ABC's Robin Roberts "wasn't enthusiastic" about interviewing President Obama about his support for gay marriage because she was worried that "it would call attention" to her alleged sexual orientation -- that she is a lesbian.

When Gawker got wind that Drudge linked to the article, the website decided to poke fun of the editor's gay rumors and include an "update" to the story.

"Internet behemoth Matt Drudge, who has just directed his readers to this post, is also commonly understood to be gay," the update said.

Drudge reacted very quickly and took down the link in just a few minutes. Gawker's editor-in-chief A.J. Daulerio told the Observer "the update was suggested by his senior writer John Cook."

"John Cook had jokingly suggested it. So, I said 'yes, absolutely.' And there you have it," Daulerio said. "I'm still trying to figure out how to get the update to blink."

When Drudge took the link down, Gawker added another "update," which said, "Internet behemoth Matt Drudge, who is commonly understood to be gay, is no longer directing his readers to this post."

The site's third update reads as: "Internet behemoth Matt Drudge, who is commonly understood to be gay, has yet to respond to the New York Observer's inquiries regarding the preceding updates to this post."

The fourth and (so far) last update says that Gawker finally got the word "update" to blink.

Daulerio said he isn't worried about the possibility of Drudge suing Gawker.

"He's going to sue us because he's gay?" Daulerio said. "Not our fault. Blame God."

Gawker wrote about Drudge's questionable sexuality in the past. In an April 6, 2009 post Gawker reported about the Internet publisher reacting to an item from Out magazine that said Drudge "happens to love Chaka Khan, 'The Young and the Restless,' and sex with men" but is homophobic and anti-abortion-rights.

"False. False. False. I do not love sex with men, "Drudge told New York magazine's Chris Rovzar. "My site is not anti-gay. I present both sides of the anti-choice-life issue... I liked Chaka in the eighties, and have not watched 'Young and the Restless' in twenty years! But I do watch 'Judge Judy'!"

"The bit about not loving gay sex is a red herring: Drudge has never been said to particularly relish his homosexuality or embrace it; in fact his gay romantic/sexual side has been described (when alleged) as conflicted and awkward," Gawker said.

Drudge is a self-described conservative and populist and became popular in 1998 after he broke the Monica Lewinsky scandal that rocked the nation.