Ricky Martin Opens Up About Coming Out as Gay

"The thing is that I was surrounded by friends that were telling me, ‘Don't! Don't come out that will be the end of your career,'" the star explained

By Diana Marti Jan 17, 2018 10:42 PMTags

Ricky Martin knew he wanted to be a part of American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace because of the story they were going to tell, the cast and because he felt he could in many ways identify with Gianni Versace

"When you look at Gianni Versace's life you look at someone who was so powerful, someone that was so revered, and yet at the same time a human being that struggled to come out," Trevor Noah said.

The singer visited The Daily Show With Trevor Noah and opened up about his own personal struggles with coming out as gay. 

"My friend, you have no idea how it took me a while. The thing is that I was surrounded by friends that were telling me, ‘Don't! Don't come out that will be the end of your career.' It was people that love me, people that mean well and people that were just victims of homophobia. You know, I grew up in this culture that told me that my feelings were horrible, that my feelings were evil. And if you add to that, you know, that I was like a heartthrob, like a sex symbol," Martin explained. 

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"But you know, that's why everyone was telling me that it was going to be the end of my career. 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.'

 

 

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As fate would have it, two influential people entered Martin's life and gave him the strength he needed.

"Then I had my kids, and I said, ‘I have to come out.' I mean, I'm not going to lie to these beautiful kids. To lie? No, that's not the point. And you know, life works in cycles, it's very interesting. Look at what I'm doing today, I'm talking on behalf of people that continue to hurt and through acting," Martin said. 

The 46-year-old star is extremely busy while raising his family, performing at his Las Vegas residency and raising funds through his organization for hurricane victims of his beloved Puerto Rico. 

"Am I correct in saying, that you've helped raise over $5 million?" Noah asked. 

"[Yes] and we're still raising! Unfortunately, Trevor, it's been more than three months, and there are still 1.4 million people in Puerto Rico living without electricity or without running water. Kids aren't going to school because obviously there's no electricity or running water in the schools. And me with my foundation and with an alliance that I want to create with Habitat for Humanity, I just want to start building homes, that is the next phase," Martin explained. "My foundation and hundreds of men and women that were volunteering since day one to make Puerto Rico a better place is something that I'll always be so thankful for. But I'm more thankful I am to every one of you that went and donated $5 here, $10 there, $15, of course, big corporations as well [donated] but at the end of the day it was people like you, all over the world that are hoping for the best for Puerto Rico."

If you'd like to contribute to Ricky Martin's foundation, visit www.youcaring.com/RickyMartin

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