Rock Hudson once called him his 'one true love , ' and now Lee Garlington is opening up about his three year relationship with the iconic Hollywood actor - and the lengths they went to in order to keep his sexuality a secret . Garlington says he was an extra on a movie set when he first decided to check out Hudson , having heard rumors the star was gay , but had to wait an entire year until he heard from the star . ' I think he had me checked out , ' says Garlington in an interview with People . Scroll down for video . Lee Garlington is opening up about his secret gay relationship with Hollywood star Rock Hudson ( above with James Dean and Elizabeth Taylor on the set of Giant ) Hudson was briefly married to Phyllis Gates ( wedding photo above ) from 1955 to 1958 . Garlington says the first meeting with the actor was a little nerve-racking , and that nothing happened other than the two having a beer , but soon they were spending all their time together . ' I 'd come over after work , spend the night and leave the next morning , ' says Garlington . ' I 'd sneak out at 6am in my Chevy Nova and coast down the street without turning on the engine so the neighbors would n't hear . We thought we were being so clever . ' Garlington says he would sneak over to the Hudson 's house ( above with friend Doris Day ) after work , and leave first thing in the morning . As for social events , he says the two would just each bring a date so people did not know they were in fact dating . This lasted for three years , from 1962 until 1965 , and while their sneaking around seemed to work for awhile , Hudson became concerned after learning that a female fan had broken into his home as he had photos of Garlington , a stockbroker , in his bedside table . 'She did n't find them , but it shook him up , ' say Garlington . 'He realized he was vulnerable . He put gates on the house after that . ' Soon after the couple parted ways , but Garlington reveals he had no idea how much the actor cared for him until he read his biography , released after he died of AIDs in 1985 , in which he called him his 'true love . ' ' I broke down and cried , ' he says . ' I just lost it . He said his mother and I were the only people he ever loved . I had no idea I meant that much to him . ' Garlington says Hudson ( left with Taylor , right with Marilyn Monroe ) would being a female date whenever they went out . Hudson , who was briefly married to Phyllis Gates from 1955 to 1958 , would never publicly come out of the closet before his death , though many of his closets friends , including Elizabeth Taylor and Marilyn Monroe , were said to have known about his lifestyle . The actor , whose breakout role came opposite Taylor and James Dean in the 1956 film Giant , for which he would go on to be nominated for an Oscar , would have other relationships with men over the course of his life , most notably Marc Christian . Christian , who met Hudson in 1982 , would later sue the actor 's estate after his death and win $ 5.5million after claiming he never informed him that he had AIDs , and continued to have sexual contact with him after he was diagnosed . More of Garlington 's interview , as well as one with Hudson 's former costar and friend Doris Day , can be found in this week 's issue of People .
Lee ##ley is opening up about his secret gay relationship with fellow star jack Hudson . he and Hudson dated from 1962 until 1965 , and Hudson called him his ' one true love ' Garlington says he would sneak over to the star 's apartment after work , and leave first thing in the morning . He also says the two would each bring a date when they went out to celebrate being outed . Hudson died in 1985 of AIDs .