Director is Andrew Rossi, ‘Andy Warhol Diaries. The Andy Warhol Diaries is an Andrew Rossi-directed docuseries available on Netflix. Based on the autobiography written by Pat Hackett is a meticulous study of the period of life and times of the renowned artist and illuminates the less-known aspects of his relationships.
One of his most famous romances was with Jon Gould, but the couple never publicly spoke about their relationship. Are you interested in knowing more about the charming lady who accompanied Warhol? We’ll explore more about them together.
Who was Jon Gould?
Jon Gould was born in Amesbury, Massachusetts, and graduated from New England College in June 1977. After a brief stint as an advertising executive in Rolling Stones, he was employed in 1978 by Paramount. The 27-year-old Jon was introduced to Warhol in November of 1980 through a mutual acquaintance, Christopher Makos. Warhol, along with Jed Johnson, his partner for 12 years, parted ways in the month of December in 1980. The following day, he delivered 12 red roses to his office of Jon and continued to send them each day until the former advised him to get them because of “embarrassment.”
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Most information about Jon is available from Warhol’s memoir, published posthumously, ‘The Andy Warhol Diaries,’ and from close friends and associates. Based on Bob Colacello, the editor of the magazine ‘Interview’ and Christopher, Warhol’s friend Chris was a cupid to the famous artist. Chris met Jon in a public bath, which he introduced to Warhol and later was able to convince him to get married to the iconic artist.
Warhol’s diary entry, dated March 16, 1981, declares, “And then I decide that I’m going to try to love someone, and that’s exactly what I’m currently doing together with Jon Gould, but then it’s just too difficult. You think about a person all the time and even though it’s a fantasy but it’s not real and then you get so involved that you need to be with them every day but then it ends into an occupation just like everything else. I’m not sure. However, Jon is a great person to fall in love with as Jon has his own business and I’m able to develop movie concepts with him, don’t you think? Maybe he could convince Paramount to promote their products in Interview as well. Right? My crush on him could be great to have for my business.”
Although Jon was also attracted to Warhol, he was cautious about their relationship in public. According to the Netflix production, Jon was wary of being portrayed as a gay man in the media because of the stigma surrounding the LGBTQ community at the time. In addition, he believed that the truth about his relationship with Warhol could have an impact on his career. So, to the world, Jon Gould remained a heterosexual and tended to be friends with Warhol in public performances.
According to the documentary, Warhol was even more amazed by Jon’s capacity to cover up his sexuality. In private, the artist began taking trips together as a family on skiing trips as well as gatherings with their friends. But Jon asked him not to write anything about him in the journals and acted in a distant manner when it came to an important commitment. Additionally, the couple drifted from one another when Jon went from Los Angeles for his work.
After a couple of years of their romance, Jon moved in with Warhol into Warhol’s New York City townhouse. However, he was reported to have shared with his brother Jay that he and Warhol weren’t sexually involved and remained together. In the documentary, Jay said, “We were extremely similar, identical twins however, we didn’t talk much about his sexuality… It was a different period.” Jon also retained his own residence in addition to being a part of Warhol.
How did Jon Gould Die?
The tragedy struck after Jon was admitted to hospital with pneumonia in February. Despite his aversion to hospitals following his shooting in 1968, Warhol visited Jon in the hospital daily until he was released on March 7 1984. When Jon returned home, his health deteriorated, and he was eventually transferred to Los Angeles. He and Warhol split in 1985, and the artist experienced an emotional time adjusting to the breakup. On September 18, 1987, Jon Gould died at the age of 33 due to a long-term illness. The illness then became up to be AIDS, which Jon did not reveal to anyone until the very close of his life.
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This was a fact uncovered through Pat Hackett in Warhol’s memoir in 1989, via an editor’s note, which she later added. Following the death of Jon’s mother, Harriett Gould, who passed away in the year 2016, The home of the family in Amesbury was offered for auction in the year 2017. Numerous photographs, artworks and letters from Jon and Warhol were found, allowing them to tell their story of love. When reading Love notes as well as poems Jon wrote to Warhol, Jay Gould shared that He was astonished to discover the deepness of his brother’s affection for Warhol.
