Colton Haynes comes out, says staying in the closet was exhausting

Sorry, girls, he’s one of us! American actor Colton Haynes has officially confirmed that he’s a proudly gay man.

Haynes, who found fame as a heartthrob on the popular TV shows Teen Wolf and Arrow, came out in an interview with Entertainment Weekly on Thursday.

He explained that he had been advised early in his career to keep his sexuality under wraps.

“I should have made a comment or a statement, but I just wasn’t ready. I didn’t feel like I owed anyone anything,” he said.

“I think in due time, everyone has to make those decisions when they’re ready, and I wasn’t yet. But I felt like I was letting people down by not coming forward with the rest of what I should have said.”

Haynes said he found it draining to live in the closet. “People who are so judgemental about those who are gay or different don’t realise that acting 24 hours a day is the most exhausting thing in the world,” he said.

The star, who we rate as one of Hollywood’s most gorgeous men, revealed that he had left Teen Wolf and Arrow because of his ongoing struggle with anxiety.

“I asked to step away because I cared more about my mental and physical health than my career at the time. I’ve had terminal anxiety my entire life. Physically ill, fainting. I’m 27 years old, and I have an ulcer. I had to step back.”

Haynes went on to add that things are now looking up. “It took me so long to get to this point, but I’m doing so good. I’m happier than I’ve ever been, and healthier than I’ve ever been, and that’s what I care about.”

In January, the actor, who started his career as an Abercrombie & Fitch model, appeared to suggest that he was gay when responded to a fan’s comment about old homoerotic pictures of him kissing another young man when he was 19.

“When I found out Colton Haynes had a secret gay past, I got so excited even though I know it makes absolutely no difference in my life,” the fan said on Tumbler.

The actor wrote back with the reply: “Was it a secret? Let’s all just enjoy life & have no regrets.”