Ricky Martin opens up about his ‘extremely painful’ coming out process
(YouTube/Loucos Por Ricky Martin RM Elite Brasil)
Ricky Martin has opened up about his “extremely painful” decision to come out.
The star of The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story revealed that friends had told him not to reveal his sexuality, for fear that it would destroy his career.
(YouTube/Loucos Por Ricky Martin RM Elite Brasil)
Ricky married his partner Jwan Yosef earlier this month.
The wedding was kept secret from the public, only being revealed when a reporter asked Martin on the red carpet for his new show.
(YouTube/Loucos Por Ricky Martin RM Elite Brasil)
But while speaking to The Daily Show’s host, Trevor Noah, the singer and actor said that it had been a long, excruciating process.
The 46-year-old Puerto Rican said: “It took me a while, it took me – look, I was surrounded by friends who were telling me: “Don’t! Don’t come out; that will be the end of your career.”‘
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Trevor tried to ask whether those people were his real friends, but Ricky denied they were being homophobic.
Instead, he said the culture around them was to blame.
The gay icon said that they were “people who love me, people who mean well, people who were just victims of homophobia.
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“I grew up in this culture which told me that my feelings were horrible, that my feelings were evil.
“And if you add to that the fact that I was like, a heartthrob, a sex symbol…everybody was telling me: ‘It’s going to be the end of your career.'”
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He then revealed why he eventually took the step to come out.
“It was extremely painful for me,” Ricky told Trevor, “until I said: ‘I can’t take it anymore.’
“It’s about me now, it’s not about what’s happening outside, it’s about what I need in order for me to be happy.”
In 2008, he became a father to twin boys Matteo and Valentino.
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This, he said, was a turning point.
“I had my kids,” he explained, “and then I said: ‘I have to come out – I mean, am I going to lie to these beautiful kids?’
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“No, that’s not the point.”
He said he related to Versace’s story, telling Trevor that the Italian fashion designer’s significance to the LGBT community was “one of the reasons I wanted to be part of this”.
Watch Ricky open up below:
