Arts & Entertainment

Catching Up With Debbie Gibson

The Merrick native reflects on relationships, Trump and her upcoming Huntington charity event.

In an age when gay couples struggle for their legal chance at the altar as others clamor to keep them away, it's hard to imagine that somewhere in the mix lies a third dimension. That's where you'll find Debbie Gibson.

Between the white picket fence existence of her Long Island electric youth and the current surroundings of her Los Angeles home, the former teen sensation has discovered the unconventional bliss of committed non-commitment, of which she currently practices with her beau.

"I don't have any urgent personal reason to want to have the government or a priest tell me that I'm in a committed relationship," Gibson said this week.

Her four-year alliance with her man is probably more committed than most married people she knows, says Gibson. And that suits her just fine. Never married and a strong supporter of gay rights, Gibson says marriage might be perfect for a lot of people, but just not for her.

"There's something very cool to me about waking up every day and knowing that we are committed because we are committed," Gibson said. "Not because we are tied legally or with a piece of paper that we have to hire lawyers to get out of. We wake up and go, oh my God, I want to be with you again today, that's so great. That might change in week or a year ... and that might never change."

The Brooklyn-born singer said she believes some people get hitched because they want to have kids and feel it's just the proper or traditional thing to do. She said some think marriage is simply the next thing they are supposed to do. Although, she says, most never try to examine why they want to do it.

As she prepares for a trip to New York for the live Celebrity Apprentice finale next Sunday and her own Oheka Castle fundraiser in Huntington after that, Gibson reflected on her experiences, both old and new.

"I had a great time and was ready to leave when I left," Gibson said, of her time on Donald Trump's popular NBC show this season. "It's a very unnatural environment and it brings out strange things in people. People are sleep deprived and they get out of the bubble and they don't even remember what they said or did. I was working very hard to not let that happen to me."

On the fourth task, she won $50,000 for her charity, Children International. But the hammer eventually came down on Gibson after the seventh task. Accused by her opponents of not raising enough money for her group, Trump fired Gibson — and her sleek blue mini.

"In a way, I feel like I left in a rock 'n' roll style with my sexy dress being called to trial," Gibson said with a laugh. "It was actually a fun way to leave the show."

Gibson said the key to victory on the show came down to how well people lied and bluffed in the board room, but in the end, being on the show was an experience she definitely wanted to have.

Despite getting the boot, Gibson, the youngest artist to write, produce and perform a No. 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100 at the age of 16, respects Trump, who once attended the debut of her Les Misérables Broadway run in 1992 as Eponine.

"Obviously he's got a bold, big personality and that rubs some people the wrong way," says Gibson. "I happen to like people that make no apologies for who they are and that would definitely be him."

Fresh off her fundraising efforts on the show, she's now gearing up for a Huntington fundraiser to benefit her Gibson Girl Foundation which awards scholarships and musical educational opportunities to underprivileged children.

Not too far from Merrick where she grew up and close to her former family-owned home in Lloyd's Neck, Oheka Castle continues to be a familiar and fond place to Gibson.

"It's one of Long Island's most amazing resources," Gibson said. "Gary [Melius] who owns the castle has been generous to let me use it for various things and we are honoring him as one of our honorees at our event this year."

Profits from the May 21 charity event will go directly to helping kids.

"Long Island is an amazing place for the arts and I had plenty of opportunities growing up and I basically wanted other kids to have the same," Gibson said.

Grateful to Celebrity Apprentice colleagues and singing stars Dee Snider and Aubrey O'Day, who were happy to help with the cause, Gibson said musicians are traditionally good givers. "I think that people in music are always grateful. We were all that kid that needed that support."

Comedian Lisa Lampineli is also expected to appear at Oheka.

Snider, of Twisted Sister fame, will sing We're Not Gonna Take It for the finale of the Oheka show, but without his usual stage makeup, according to Gibson.

"I want to definitely look prettier than him," Gibson joked.

It's not hard to imagine that that will be too difficult ... especially in that little blue dress.


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