Page Six
No, Bette Midler Doesn’t Think She Needs ‘Hocus Pocus 2’ to Renew Her Gay Icon Status: ‘This Is Global, Girl’
By Nicki Gostin
September 28, 2022
BETTE MIDLER
THE PEOPLE’S DIVA
THE PEOPLE’S ICON
REPORTER: DO YOU THINK YOU NEED ‘HOCUS POCUS 2 TO BURNISH YOUR STATUS AS A GAY ICON?
MISTER D: WHAT KIND OF ASSHOLE QUESTION IS THAT?
Mister D: If you can’t tell, I did not like this question one bit, because if there wasn’t a deeper agenda behind it, then it was definitely meant to put a pall on the evening. If you don’t believe me, take a look at Billboard magazines hot take on the matter. Bette Midler’s Status As A Gay Icon Is A Done Deal! Etched In Tungsten and Carbide – She’s Eternal!
Bette Midler’s Status As A Gay Icon Is A Done Deal
Bette Midler joked she doesn’t need “Hocus Pocus 2” to burnish her status as a gay icon.
“No!” she exclaimed to Page Six exclusively at the movie’s premiere in New York City on Tuesday. “This is worldwide, this is global, girl! Get a grip!”
The first “Hocus Pocus” movie came out in 1993. It centered on a trio of diabolical witches — played by Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy — awakened after being executed in the 17th century.
The film received mixed reviews and was not a box office success. But over the years, it developed a rabid fan base that kept calling for a sequel.
Midler seemed slightly gobsmacked on Tuesday that “Hocus Pocus 2” had finally been made, calling it “unbelievable.”
Midler brought her husband, Martin von Haselberg, to the premiere.
“We [Midler, Najimy, and Parker] sort of asked about it, asked about it,” the “Beaches” star explained to us. “When we finally realized it had become something, we asked about it again.
“They sort of neglected us and finally decided it was time. Thirty years, girl!” she crowed.
It was a family affair on the red carpet, with many stars bringing kids and spouses.
Midler, 76, Najimy, 65, and Parker, 57, posed with their respective husbands, Martin von Haselberg, Dan Finnerty and Matthew Broderick. The “Sex and the City” alum’s rarely seen 13-year-old twin daughters, Marion and Tabitha, also tagged along.
Other celebs at the packed premiere included Ralph Macchio with his daughter, Julia, Kristin Chenoweth, Tony Hale, and Sam Richardson.
Also, there was “Girls” star Jemima Kirke, who snapped at a publicist for moving her and her two kids along the carpet.
