Lil Nas X says he was afraid people would know he was gay if he admitted to being Nicki Minaj fan

Singer says: 'I was just so afraid of people finding out about me and losing everything before I even got a chance'

Lil Nas X explains why he pretended he wasn't a Nicki Minaj fan (Getty)

Lil Nas X has opened up about why he pretended he wasn’t behind a Nicki Minaj fan account, explaining he didn’t want people to know he was gay.

On Wednesday, the Old Town Road singer started a conversation with Minaj on Twitter, where he asked her to collaborate on a song with him.

“I have this song I want you on and was wondering… ” the 21-year-old wrote alongside a meme that said: “I am proposing.”

In response to the tweet, a fan of Minaj’s, who refer to themselves as Barbs, asked why Lil Nas X had previously denied being a fan of the rappers - and why he had denied that he ran the Twitter account @NasMaraj, which he was linked to last year.

“How come you never claimed her when people asked if you were a barb? We all knew who you were,” the fan wrote, appearing to refer to the reports that Lil Nas X was behind the fan account.

"I didn't want people to know I was gay tbh," Lil Nas X replied.

In another response to a follower who wrote that "being a Barb doesn't make you gay,” the Panini rapper explained that, at the time, he was worried about how he would be perceived by the music industry.

“It don’t but people will assume if you had an entire fan page dedicated to Nicki you are gay,” Lil Nas X responded. “And the rap/music industry ain’t exactly built or accepting of gay men yet.”

Previously, Lil Nas X had said the reports that he was behind the fan account were "disappointing".

"It's like a big misunderstanding and it's not one that I even want to give the time, because I'm never putting someone as the face of my career," he told NPR. "So I don't even speak on it. I just don't even acknowledge it, really. I know even more things are being made up and they're gonna be out there. It is disappointing when a big blog will post something without me talking about it but, I mean, it happens."

Wednesday's exchange prompted Minaj to respond to Lil Nas X and congratulate him for embracing his identity.

“It was a bit of a sting when you denied being a barb, but I understand,” the Super Bass singer wrote in a tweet to Lil Nas X. “Congratulations on building up your confidence to speak your truth.”

Lil Nas X replied: “The generous queen, I love you. And I'm sorry I did that in a time where you were already getting so much bandwagon hate. I felt so bad, hoping you wouldn't see my denial.

“I was just so afraid of people finding out about me and losing everything before I even got a chance."

The singer’s admission comes after he announced he was gay on Twitter in June 2019.

Since then, Lil Nas X has spoken publicly about his decision to come out, explaining in January during an interview with Variety that it has since made him and his father closer.

“We have become closer," he told the outlet. "I mean, especially now because I don't have anything to hide. It was a shock for him. It's still the beginning phase. I'm not comfortable bringing a guy around yet."