Marie Claire Marie Claire
  • Celebrity
  • Fashion
  • Beauty
  • Culture
  • Power
  • Nice Talk
  • Fashion Month
  • More
    • Politics
    • Career & Money
    • Health & Fitness
    • Power Play
    • Travel
    • Promo Codes
    • Food & Cocktails
    • About Us
    • Subscribe
    • Sex & Love
  • Newsletter SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Marie Claire
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!


    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    You are now subscribed

    Your newsletter sign-up was successful


    Want to add more newsletters?

    Marie Claire Daily

    Delivered daily

    Marie Claire Daily

    Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.

    Marie Claire Self Checkout

    Sent weekly on Saturday

    Marie Claire Self Checkout

    Exclusive access to expert shopping and styling advice from Nikki Ogunnaike, Marie Claire's editor-in-chief.

    Maire Claire Face Forward

    Once a week

    Maire Claire Face Forward

    Insider tips and recommendations for skin, hair, makeup, nails and more from Hannah Baxter, Marie Claire's beauty director.

    Livingetc

    Once a week

    Livingetc

    Your shortcut to the now and the next in contemporary home decoration, from designing a fashion-forward kitchen to decoding color schemes, and the latest interiors trends.

    Homes & Gardens

    Delivered Daily

    Homes & Gardens

    The ultimate interior design resource from the world's leading experts - discover inspiring decorating ideas, color scheming know-how, garden inspiration and shopping expertise.


    An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
    Trending
    • NYFW
    • Life In Plastic
    • Banana Republic x La Ligne
    • New Books
    • The Venice Film Festival
    1. Politics

    Orlando Shooter Omar Mateen Was Reportedly a *Regular* at Pulse Nightclub

    The government is investigating reports that he was a frequent visitor and also used gay dating apps.

    Megan Friedman's avatar
    By Megan Friedman
    Published 14 June 2016 In News

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    Pulse Nightclub
    (Image credit: Getty Images)
    • Facebook
    • X
    • Pinterest
    Share this article
    Join the conversation
    Follow us
    Add us as a preferred source on Google
    Subscribe to our newsletter

    The FBI is investigating reports that Orlando shooter Omar Mateen was a regular at Pulse, the gay nightclub where he gunned down 49 people and injured many more early Sunday morning, according to the Associated Press. An official, who spoke anonymously, told the AP that they were also investigating reports that he used gay dating apps. 

    Several regulars at Pulse told media outlets that they saw Mateen at the club several times before, even as much as 12 times. "Sometimes he would go over in the corner and sit and drink by himself, and other times he would get so drunk he was loud and belligerent," regular Pulse patron Ty Smith told the Orlando Sentinel. "We didn't really talk to him a lot, but I remember him saying things about his dad at times. He told us he had a wife and child."

    Kevin West, another regular at the club, said that Mateen talked occasionally on the gay messaging and dating app Jack'd, but the two had never met in person until about an hour before the shooting. "He walked directly past me. I said, 'Hey,' and he turned and said, 'Hey,'" and nodded his head, he told the Los Angeles Times. "I could tell by the eyes." 

    Latest Videos FromMarie Claire
    Watch full video here:

    Mateen's ex-wife, Sitora Yusufiy, told CNN's Erin Burnett "I don't know" when asked if he was gay. "He never personally or physically made any indication while we were together of that, but he did feel very strongly about homosexuality." When asked whether his son was gay in an interview, his father, Seddique Mateen, said, "It's not true. Why, if he was gay, would he do this?"

    Follow Marie Claire on Facebook for the latest celeb news, beauty tips, fascinating reads, livestream video, and more.

    You may like
    • a gif of lgbtq thriller books against a backdrop of the marie claire franchise buy the book featuring text 10 Must-Read Thrillers That'll Inspire You to "Be Gay, Do Crime" This Pride
    • reality star harry jowsey stands in front of a floral display holding a sign that says my vows in a still from the show let's marry harry Your Guide to 'Let's Marry Harry' Star Harry Jowsey's Complete (and Messy) Dating History
    • Corbin Mims, Gal Tshnieder, Kuman "KC" Dameon Chandler, Carl Schmidt, Dylan Wrona, and Zacharias Georgiou look shocked sitting on a couch together during movie night on love island usa season 8 The Manosphere Is Ruining 'Love Island USA'
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!

    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
    Megan Friedman
    Megan Friedman
    Social Links Navigation
    Editor

    Megan Friedman is the former managing editor of the Newsroom at Hearst. She's worked at NBC and Time, and is a graduate of Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism.

    Read more
    Owen Thiele poses in a white suit with a black vest underneath lying on a counter in an office for marie claire's meet cute series
    TV shows Owen Thiele Is Everyone's Best Friend He's charming his way through Hollywood, from 'Adults' and a growing podcast audience to Taylor Swift's inner circle.
    By Faran Krentcil
    Harry Jowsey wears a tuxedo shirt while speaking with a woman in a wedding veil, in a still from the 'Let's Marry Harry' finale.
    TV shows We No Longer Think Marriage Is a "Prize." Why Do Netflix Dating Shows? The streamer has reached a new frontier of preying on women’s desire for partnership.
    By Quinci LeGardye
     
     
    Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, has red hair and a short beard and wears a suit and tie and attends the Kyiv Security Forum, in Kyiv on April 23, 2026
    Royals Prince Harry "Used to Try and Escape" and "Disappear"
    By Amy Mackelden
    Prince Philip walking past smiling people in a three-piece suit
    Royals Prince Philip Was So Angry About One Rumor the Palace Issued a Rare Denial
    By Kristin Contino
     
     
    Latest in Politics
    collage of gloria Steinem
    Politics Gloria Steinem "Passes Away Peacefully" at 92
    Black-and-white three-panel collage of mothers holding and cuddling their babies.
    Politics We Asked Women to Share Private Texts, Searches, and Notes From Their Darkest Postpartum Days
     
     
    A portrait of Jessica Tarlov seated outdoors in a teal pantsuit.
    Politics Fox News’s Favorite Nasty Woman
    lisitng
    Politics Anti-Trans Legislation Isn't About "Protecting Girls"—It's About Distracting Us From What Matters
     
     
    Latest in News
    A model on the DVF Spring 2027 runway at New York Fashion Week.
    Fashion Henry Zankov Puts the DVF Woman Back in "Motion"
    collage of the best celebrity looks at the Spring/Summer 2027 season of New York Fashion Week
    Celebrity Style New York Fashion Week Is Back—and So Are the Cool-Girl Celebrity Outfits
     
     
    Prince William, Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle, Prince Harry
    Royals Prince William and Princess Kate Are Taking A “Wait-and-See Approach” To Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s UK Move
    Anne Hathaway brought a little purple purse from Bulgari to a New York Fashion Week event
    Celebrity Style Anne Hathaway Just Started NYFW With a Tiny On-Trend Purple Purse
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Marie Claire
    RSS
    • About us
    • Contact Future's experts
    • Contact us
    • Advertise Online
    • Newsletter
    • Terms and conditions
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookies policy
    • Careers
    Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google

    Marie Claire is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

    © Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.