Ian Thorpe addresses speculation that he was mentored into coming out as gay after romance with Ricky Martin
Turns out, the Olympic swimmer and the Latin singer haven’t actually ever met
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Your support makes all the difference.Reports that Ian Thorpe had gathered the strength to finally come out after being mentored by ‘lover’ Ricky Martin swiftly circulated following his televised revelation earlier this year.
Speculation over whether the Olympic swimmer and the Latin singer had “been in it together” oddly reached a pinnacle when the “Livin’ La Vida Loca” star declined to comment on the claims.
“I am extremely happy that he is talking about his happiness, and that is where I would like to leave it,” he apparently told a Daily Mail reporter as he promoted his The Voice Australia finalist in Melbourne in July, leaving the door wide open for tabloid interpretation.
Martin, who himself came out as gay during the peak of his fame 15 years ago, had aptly been one of the mentors of the TV talent competition.
Turns out, however, it wasn’t true. In fact, to this day, the pair have never actually met.
“It’s not true,” Thorpe told News Australia at the GQ Australia Men of the Year Awards in Sydney earlier this week. “I’m not seeing anyone. And we weren’t even friends when that came out. I’ve spoken to him a few times and that’s it.
“Great guy but we’ve never met.”
Thorpe, who was awarded GQ’s Man of Influence 2014 at the event, also described how life has changed for him since his revelatory interview with Michael Parkinson in July.
“I’m no different,” he said. “It’s just that the context of how honest I’ve been with people has changed. I’ve laid myself bare for people to respond to that and the response has been amazing.”
This time speaking to GQ, he went on to admit that the reason he didn’t come out sooner was because he didn’t feel brave enough.
“I'm a little bit ashamed that I didn't come out earlier, that I didn't have the strength to do it. I didn't have the courage to do it, to break that lie,” he told the publication.
He was first publicly asked about his sexuality when he was just 16.
“I didn't know at the stage, I was too young. I didn't accept it in myself. I didn't want to be gay. I was still gay at the end of the day.”
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