The friend is a narcissist, i have such a father
Many times they have a person they keep closer than everyone for their ego, usually it is their romantic partner but in his case it seems to be his friend
The guy is probably straight and therefore trying to keep him in a state that he is hopeful
Now starting to feel he is losing the grip the mask is starting to fade and his dark side starts showing
This is a mild case, in more severe ones the control can be much worse and they can also become very violent