30 Days and 16 Years: A Pin Up History of Jake Gyllenhaal and Austin Nichols - Day 11

Jake Gyllenhaal and his BFF Austin Nichols go bike-riding together on Thursday (March 5) in Brentwood, Calif.

Now, that's a headline. The message loud and clear. These men wanted to be seen together on this particular occasion. An INF Daily celebrity photographer had been called. The transaction conspicuously followed by 10+ pics being uploaded in real time to Just Jared, THE mainstream celebrity gossip website sanctioned by all of the major talent agencies from the William Morris Agency (now Endeavor) to CAA, UTA, etc. Therefore, the professionally crafted photo spread was not only pre-approved and pre-arranged, but most definitely welcomed. 



The nagging question for many at the time was why would Jake and Austin want these photos out in the public domain while Ted Casablanca's extraordinarily popular Blind Items about Toothy Tile and Grey Goose were still being posted and enthusiastically discussed by fans. That's right, open chatter about Jake and Austin being a real life couple. Never mind the additional story that they were not just boyfriends, but also raising a closeted family away from the prying eyes of the public.  Even more quizzical was that Jake was still very much shackled by a high profile bearding contract relationship with Reese Witherspoon, a woman not exactly known to be generous when it came to anything that took the spotlight off of her or suggested that her involvement with Jake might just be a stunt. 

So what was it about the spring of 2009 that inspired Jake and Austin to want to be suddenly photographed together. Remember that the two men had not been seen out and about together since May 4, 2007 when TMZ had teasingly published pics of their Friday night "cruising" of a local Hollywood Borders Bookstore. Surely, there must have been some compelling reason for the exposure other than a need for a routine cardiovascular workout? Or, just to show off those well-toned abs and leg muscles.

Put your thinking caps on. Because this would not be the last time Jake and Austin would publicly appear together in 2009. In fact, there would be another photo opportunity that would take place nearly six weeks later. Almost like these two were sending out a message that had nothing to do with cycling or spandex. Or, even just being BFFs.

Remember the explanatory model of Occum's Razor is often for the lazy of mind and for those who have never had to live their lives in the shadows. The predictable deceptions, lies and artifices of the closet make everything more complicated and far more circuitous. Meaning a sudden very public bike ride, can represent something far less obvious, and much more impudent. Particularly, when the two men involved have been very publicly separated for nearly two years. One of the pair concealed behind the added insulation provided by a high profile bearding arrangement. Remember, both men had been hiding not only because of well-known gay rumors, which pointed to them being a couple, but also due to the controversial chatter about them having a surrogate child together back in October 2007. So what could be the reason for these two camera shy guys to suddenly what the public to see them together? What could it be? What could it be?

  
pic source:  Just Jared, Giphy
playlist:  Bicycle Race - Queen
               Boys Are Back In Town - Thin Lizzy