David Bar Katz has settled with The National Enquirer after the gossip publication ran a false article stating he was Philip Seymour Hoffman's gay lover.
In an interview with The New York Times, Katz spoke about finding out the news of his "homosexual" relationship with the actor soon after his death. Hoffman died on Feb. 2 of a suspected drug overdose.
"My 14-year-old said, 'Dad, there's something online about you and Phil being lovers,' " Katz told the Times. "I said, 'Phil would get a kick out of that.'"
The Enquirer quoted Katz saying he was Hoffman's lover and saw the actor use cocaine before his death. Soon after the false reports were published, Katz filed a complaint in s libel suit against the Enquirer.
"The issue was never me being outraged at being accused of being gay - we're theater guys, who cares?" Katz told the Times. "The issue was lying about the drugs, that I would betray my friend by telling confidences."
According to the Times, the gossip publication retracted the story and apologized to Katz. The Enquirer settled with Katz on Monday for $45,000, which will go to his American Playwriting Foundation. The foundation was set up in honor of Hoffman, and will give out an annual prize of $45,000 to fund a play.
"It's so awful and ludicrous," Katz said. "We had talked so often that it's a tragedy playwrights can't survive being playwrights - about how nice it would be if you could make your rent and still have an occasional steak."
Katz also told talked to the Times about the final text messages he received from the actor.
"The fact that he wanted me to come over for the Knick game meant that he did not want to be doing the drugs, because he never did them in my presence," Katz said. "He once said to me, 'Addiction is when you do the thing you really, really most don't want to be doing.' He was rigorously sober and had an awful relapse."
