A kept man is a man who is financially supported by a wealthy, usually older, person who is neither the man's spouse nor close relative. Men may be kept by either a woman or by another man. Being "kept" could be seen as a form of male prostitution, especially if the relationship has a sexual dimension. The kept woman is a female version, and considered more common.
Kept Boy is a novel by noted gay author Robert Rodi.
Being a "kept man" was the theme of an episode from critically acclaimed sitcom "Ellen" originally aired on January 15, 1997 called "Joe's Kept Secret". In the episode, David Anthony Higgins' character, Joe, is kept by a significantly older woman, Madelaine, played by Florence Henderson.
VH1 in 2005 aired Kept, a reality television series featuring a dozen contestants seeking to become the kept man of supermodel Jerry Hall.
The character of Joe Gillis in Sunset Boulevard is a "kept man" who is being "kept" by Norma Desmond, a famous star.
Throughout An American in Paris others allude to Jerry Mulligan being "kept" by Milo Roberts.
In Breakfast at Tiffany's, Paul Varjak is being kept by the character of Mrs. Failenson, whom Paul introduces to Holly as his decorator.
The theme of being a "Kept Man" was a prominent theme in the 1969 film Midnight Cowboy starring Jon Voight & Dustin Hoffman: Texas greenhorn Joe Buck arrives in New York for the first time. Preening himself as a real 'hustler', he finds that he is the one getting 'hustled' until he teams up with a down-and-out but resilient outcast named Ratso Rizzo. The initial 'country cousin meets city cousin' relationship deepens. In their efforts to bilk a hostile world rebuffing them at every turn, this unlikely pair progress from partners in shady business to comrades. Each has found his first real friend.