Former husband-and-wife team will receive organization’s media award
WHAT A CATCH | When Fran Drescher and Peter Marc Jacobson divorced after 21 years of marriage, he came out as gay, but the team has remained best friends and even created a show based on their story.
Fran Drescher and her gay ex-husband Peter Marc Jacobson will receive the Media Award at Black Tie Dinner in November, event co-chairs announced this week.
Drescher and Jacobson were married for 21 years before divorcing in 1999. He then came out to her as gay. The two worked together on The Nanny, which Jacobson created and produced and Drescher starred in as Miss Fine.
After a six-year run as executive producer and co-creator of The Nanny, Jacobson and Drescher created Happily Divorced, based loosely on the story of their life together as husband and wife after Jacobson told her he was gay.
The pair’s work earned them this year’s Media Award for BTD’s 32nd annual dinner. The award is given in recognition of positive, increased awareness of LGBT issues in the media. The first award was given in 2008 to Logo. Other recipients include Cyndi Lauper, Chely Wright, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and J.C. Penney.
This year’s award highlights the theme “One Voice” and is “a testament to the importance of valuing and celebrating what each of us — whether gay or straight — brings to the table and speaking with one voice for equality,” BTD co-chair Mitzi Lemons said. “Though differences surfaced in this couple’s relationship, the bottom line is, they never stopped supporting one another.”
Drescher received two Emmy and two Golden Globe nominations for her portrayal as Miss Fine on The Nanny and is also an accomplished author.
As a 12-year uterine cancer survivor, Drescher is the founder, president and visionary of the Cancer Schmancer Movement, a nonprofit organization that is transforming patients into medical consumers. Her mission is to shift America’s focus toward prevention and early detection.
Jacobson started his career in front of the camera, but is most known for creating The Nanny — and as Drescher’s gay ex-husband. He is a successful producer and is still best friends with Fran, despite their breakup.
The two joined together in 2008 to help block California’s Proposition 8.
Their new show Happily Divorced stars Drescher as Fran, a struggling Los Angeles florist whose life is turned upside down when she learns that her husband of 18 years, Peter (played by John Michael Higgins), is gay. He can’t afford to move out, so they agree to continue living under one roof. They confront their own significant differences while she dives into the dating world and he explores his newfound sexuality.
“Drescher and Jacobson are still very much connected, despite now being divorced and living separate lives,” BTD co-chair Ken Morris said.
“We are anxious to hear how Jacobson and Drescher rebuilt their friendship and made it better than ever.”
Drescher and Jacobson will join Scouts for Equality founder Zach Wahls and Academy Award-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black at the Black Tie. Wahls will receive the Elizabeth Birch Equality Award and Black will attend as a guest speaker.
Black Tie Dinner is scheduled for Nov. 2. For more information, visit BlackTie.org.
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition September 27, 2013.