Barry & Diane

The truth about us, after all these years.

- By BARRY DILLER

WHILE THERE HAVE BEEN a good many men in my life, there has only ever been one woman, and she didn't come into my life until I was 33 years old. There are many complex aspects of my relationship with Diane von Fürstenberg: romantic love and deep respect, companionship and world adventuring, then disappointment and separation, and finally marriage. We met in 1974, separated in 1981, reunited in 1991, married in 2001, and have spent 50 years intertwined with each other in a unique and complete love.

I have never questioned my sexuality's basic authority over my life (I was only afraid of the reaction of others). And when my romance with Diane began, I never questioned that its biological imperative was as strong in its heterosexuality as its opposite had been. When it happened, my initial response was "Who knew?"

I'm well aware that this part of my life has caused confusion and lots of speculation. A relationship that began with indifference, then exploded into a romance as natural to us as breathing, surprised us and everyone else. It really is the miracle of my life.

Much has been written about us, whispered about us, wondered about us. So I'll just start at the beginning and let the story unfold.

IN THE FALL OF 1974, Charles Bluhdorn, the chairman of Gulf + Western, made me chairman and CEO of Paramount, which had become extremely successful under Frank Yablans, the short, feisty, street-smart Jewish mafioso who was its president, and Robert Evans, the smooth prince of Hollywood, who was head of production. At ABC, I was appointed vice-president back when the title still had currency, but they were the biggest executive stars in the show-business firmament. Television was still considered the underclass. To movie people, I was an interloper from an inferior land. I was clearly not cast right—or the right caste for this job.