George Michael was BANNED from buying a posh New York apartment after homophobic board told him: ‘We don’t want the likes of you here’

GEORGE Michael was blocked from buying a property by a homophobic New York apartment board following the his arrest for having sex in a public toilet in 1998.

After the late singer  - whose 1990 album was called Listen Without Prejudice - had been caught engaging in the sex act by an undercover police officer in 1998, he was simply told, after viewing the posh flat: "We don't want the likes of you here.”

Instead of being offended, former Wham! star George laughed at the "irony" of being told he could not buy the swanky apartment which would have cost him "millions".

Kirsty Young, his close friend, told the Times Magazine that George replied: "You're kidding me. I'm George Michael. I have millions of dollars to spend on your overpriced apartments."

Explaining his reaction, she added: “He could see the irony in it.

"He could see how he had sabotaged himself. He was outraged but at the same time could see the funny side.

"He understood that he led a rarefied life, but that could also be immensely frustrating," Kirsty added.

The revelation comes in the new documentary George finished just before his death called Freedom, made up of an interview Kirsty did with George at his home last year.

It goes some way to explain why George, who died aged of heart and liver failure aged 53 last Christmas, always found that festive time of year so miserable.

Faith hitmaker George suffered terribly during two Christmases - firstly in 1991, when he was waiting to find out if "love of his life" Anselmo Feleppa had Aids.

He explained: “I sat at the Christmas table not knowing whether my partner, who the people around the table did not know about... not knowing whether the man I was in love with was terminally ill...

"And therefore not knowing whether I potentially was terminally ill.

"That Christmas was probably the darkest, darkest most frightening time in my life," he added.

When in the new year George was reunited with Brazilian Anselmo, the worst news followed - and he revealed: “I was absolutely devastated to find out he had a terminal illness... just devastated.”

Anselmo went on to die from a brain haemorrhage aged 33 in March 1993 - and three years later, George was dealt another devastating blow when his terminally-ill mother spent her last Christmas with him December 1996.

Lesley was told by doctors she was going to die of cancer and George was at her side at London's Charing Cross Hospital until the end in February 1997.

George said: “I was so spiritually crushed after mum died. So crushed and felt so bloody picked on by the gods. For all of my adult life she was phenomenal. Terrible, horrible loss.”

The world was shocked by the loss of George last year - just as reports of his big musical comeback were circulating.

The documentary, which is being shown on Channel 4 this month, includes contributions from stars like Sir Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Kate Moss and Liam Gallagher.

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