Iconic actor James Dean was the subject of gay rumors even before his untimely death in 1955. Various sources have claimed the brooding young star of Giant and Rebel Without a Cause was a hustler, or that he slept with various Hollywood producers to further his career.

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Rebel director Nicholas Ray insinuated Dean was a homosexual—and possibly involved with co-star Sal Mineo, who was gay—while biographer John Howlett maintained JD was "most certainly bisexual."

E! Online caught up with '50s screen idol Tab Hunter at SXSW, where he was promoting the new doc Tab Hunter Confidential, and asked him what he knew about Dean's sexuality.

Hunter, himself closeted for most of his career, was friends with the late star—they shared an agent and Hunter even went on arranged dates with Dean's Rebel costar Natalie Wood.

Hunter, now 81, acknowledged the constant rumors that swirled around his friend. "People always said that [Dean was bisexual]," Hunter told E!'s Mark Malkin. "People want to hang labels on people: 'Oh, he's like this or he's like that.'"

But, Hunter said, "I don't buy into that—as far as I know Jimmy [wasn't bi]."

Maybe he never heard the story about Liz Taylor and Rock Hudson wagering who could seduce Dean first on the set of Giant? According to legend, Rock won the bet.

Below, watch the trailer for Tab Hunter Confidential.