Singer-actor Ricky Martin revealed in a
new interview that coming out gay was “extremely painful” for
him.
The 46-year-old Martin made his
comments during an appearance on Comedy Central's The Daily Show.
Martin was on the show to promote American Crime Story: The
Assassination of Gianni Versace, the FX miniseries from producer
Ryan Murphy that details the murder of fashion designer Gianni
Versace. Martin plays Versace's longtime boyfriend on the show.
Martin, who came out gay in 2010 after
denying rumors about his sexuality for years, said that he was warned
that being publicly open about his sexuality would ruin his career.
“I was surrounded by a lot of friends
that were telling me, 'Don't! Don't come out. It will be the end of
your career!' People that love me. People that mean well. People
that were just victims of homophobia,” Martin said.
“It was extremely painful for me
until I said, 'I can't take it anymore. It's all about me now. It's
not about what's happening outside. It's about what I need in order
to be happy.'”
He added that becoming a father to twin
boys Matteo and Valentino settled the issue in his mind. “I'm not
going to lie to these beautiful kids,” he said.
(Related: Ricky
Martin reveals he's married to Jwan Yosef.)