What a lovely surprise! I never heard so much as a whisper about Cassandra “Elvira” Peterson being gay, but she has been in a 19-year-relationship with a woman named Teresa “T” Wierson.

Peterson, who turned an ageless 70 last week, touches on the relationship in new new memoir, entitled Yours Cruelly, Elvira, which is out today.

According to The Advocate, Peterson mistook T for a man at her gym, and then hired her as her trainer. Both were in relationships, but things took a romantic turn when they found themselves freshly single.

It's sad she felt the need to keep it hush-hush:

Would my fans hate me for not being what they expected me to be? I’m very aware that there will be some who will be disappointed and maybe even angry, but I have to live with myself, and at this point in my life, I’ve got to be truthful about who I am ... For the first time in my life. I’m with someone who makes me feel safe, blessed, and truly loved.

I've got to read this book! I find Peterson fascinating, and am curious what she will have to say about her romance with one of the hottest men of all time, the late Bill Cable.

Can you see what I have more than a passing interest in Bill Cable tidbits? (Image via catalogue)