Grease star reveals he asked out 16-year-old girl and compares backlash to homophobia
Grease star reveals he asked out 16-year-old girl and compares backlash to homophobia
Kathleen O'Boyle Tue, October 6, 2026 at 2:31 PM UTC
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Deezen played Eugene in Grease -Credit:Paramount
Grease star Eddie Deezen is facing intense backlash on social media after he revealed that he asked a minor out on a date, and then compared the backlash to homophobia.
Deezen, 69, who portrayed nerdy Rydell High student Eugene Felsnic in the 1978 Hollywood hit musical, recently went on social media to tell fans a story about asking a 16-year-old girl out while at a Starbucks. The star has a criminal track record, and has been previously arrested for a nursing home burglary, as well as second-degree assault, disorderly conduct, and trespassing after refusing to leave a restaurant and throwing items/food at police.
"Ok, I was very nervous, but I made myself go over and talk to her. I clenched my fists and walked over to her table. This just happened," he wrote in the now-deleted post, which came as a fellow Grease star caught fans attention.
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The actor, who does not have children but was previously married, included 'verbatim' quotes from the interaction. Eddie says he approached the young girl, saying, "Hi. Can I sit down?" Allegedly, she replied, "Sure," with a big smile.
Saying that he was 'happy she was so friendly and nice,' the actor then told the girl, "My name is Eddie. You're the most beautiful girl I've seen in a long time. I'm in the movie Grease. I wondered if I could take you out sometime. If you have a boyfriend, I understand."
Eugene was the Rydell High School nerd -Credit:CBS via Getty Images
"I can't, I'm underaged," the girl reportedly told the actor as he replied, "What? What do you mean?" She then repeated herself, telling Deezen that she is 16. According to the post, he replied, "Oh. I see. Ok. Well, think of me when you watch Grease."
He claims the young girl agreed, and then shook his hand before leaving the Starbucks. Deezen continued with the post, adding, "This is will be my last post on what happened today. I will just write it and then I will not mention it again. My thoughts and opinions are included.
"Ok, this incident just happened totally spontaneously - I was just reading my Beatles book and drinking my tea at Starbucks and then this absolutely gorgeous girl walked in.
"I saw her and yes, I was attracted to her. I thought she was a college girl, maybe about 23. I have been so blessed in so many ways in life, OMG - unbelievably blessed, but being handsome or a Ladies Man or being confident with beautiful girls are not part of my blessings.
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Deezen admitted that he had the interaction in a starbucks -Credit:Getty Images
"I was looking over Facebook, surfing, and I just wrote spontaneously what was going on. I know this may seem odd or unusual to some, but these people obviously do not know me, I am a very open poster on Facebook.
"So I posted four posts about what was happening. The girl was sitting there on her computer and I said to myself, I'm going to go over and talk to her. I stood up and did not move for a minute or two, then I walked over to her and our conversation took place. Offended by this? Interesting."
The actor then shocked fans as he went on to compare the backlash from his interaction with the teenager, who was 53 years younger than him, to social issues such as homophobia and transphobia.
"I was a guy attracted to a girl, I had no idea of her age, and I asked her out," he told his followers. "I know this makes certain kinds of people clutch their pearls and get their bowels in an uproar. What if it was a man, a grown man, I asked out?
The young girl was 53 years younger than Deezen -Credit:Allegany County Sheriff's Office
"In certain places I would be killed for this, in other places, In other minds, I would be looked upon as sick or almost not human. Same as if I were an adult woman and I thought another woman was hot and did the same.
"And others would see this and hear this and hate them for homophobia. And what of men who want to be women and vice-versa? More pearl clutching. Aren't we selectively offended."
He claimed interaction was an 'honest mistake', adding that he later blocked three social media users for leaving 'very cruel comments' under the post.
"Look, I get it: There are many sad and lonely people out there, and many lonely people who crave attention. Believe it or not, I have great, great compassion for them," Deezen said. "But not to the point where they can insult me and call me names. One or two I blocked, then I looked at their Facebook page-each had exactly one friend. So these poor, pathetic people actually got blocked, and got a new page, just so they could insult me. I saw all the commenters for what they are. A vast majority good and loyal friends. The others - I honestly pity them, they are in a dark place."
Deezen told the girl to 'think of him when she watches Grease' -Credit:Paramount
He then told followers he would 'back posting as usual tomorrow'. "Take down the post? Are you kidding? And let evil and hate win?" the actor finished.
After the post went viral online, one critic slammed, "Ok just this once I’m fairly confident I can speak for LGBT+ people everywhere when I say 'leave us the hell out of it you giant weirdo?!?'"
A second one said, "Exactly. Like are you comparing an elderly man being attracting to a child to being queer? Like no thank you! You’re not some oppressed minority."
"Commented elsewhere in here about exactly this. Like being a predator (even if he thought she was 23, he is still 70) is equivalent to being queer. So sick of these guys trying to say they’re a part of our community. Not only are you not under our umbrella, you are in the rain on the opposite side of town," a final fuming user said.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
