The Village People’s Jim Newman Moved to Brazil for Love

When the global pandemic struck New York City, Jim Newman was left without a job. The veteran actor and performer had been touring as the cowboy with the Village People. But rather than hunkering down alone in his apartment waiting for pandemic to pass, Newman told Mike Ciriaco at Gay Cities in an exclusive interview how he decided to quarantine with his Brazilian fiance in Sao Paulo, instead.

"We came down here because we didn't have any choice," Newman explained to Ciriaco. "The Village People concerts were canceled for the entire year, and Broadway shut down, so I had no work anyway."

There was also the issue of the travel ban, which would have separated Newman from his fashion designer fiance Sergio J. Matos indefinitely. So Newman made the leap of love to Sao Paulo, and he has had no regrets with the decision.

"Brazil is so tropical, so it has so many beautiful places," he gushed.

He called Rio "the most fun beach in the world" and raved about caipirinha, telling Ciriaco the local drink is "crazy strong but makes the beach really fun."

Newman has clearly been keeping in shape since the move, and making good use of the local beaches and speedo stores. He's also started an OnlyFans profile to help pay the bills, but he insisted there's no porn, only mouth-watering videos of Newman showing off his musical talents while in his underwear usually.

The veteran Daddyhunt actor also told Ciriaco about the Village People's sole gig that didn't cancel because of the pandemic. Of course, it took place in a Florida trailer park.

"It was so weird because even then, all the chairs, it would be a two together, then six feet away was another two chairs," Newman recalled of his Floridian experience. "The whole space was done like a weird speed dating thing. It was so bizarre for us."

Newman would love to return to Broadway, but said there was "nothing to audition for" even if he did come home. Sadly for Newman, though, that return may come sooner than he hoped. Because he's a foreign national, Newman can't stay longer than six months per year in Brazil. He's looking at the bright side, though, and enjoying his time with his fiance while he can.

"I'd rather be in lockdown with the person I love than by myself in New York," Newman told Ciriaco.

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