“This is something I've been unpacking and reckoning with in my life for quite some time now,” said Shomo in an Instagram post on May 23
Credit: Erika Goldring/Getty; Jesse Grant/Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- Caleb Shomo came out as a “proudly gay man” in an Instagram post on Saturday, May 23
- The Beartooth singer, 33, said his announcement was coming after “a decade burying feelings with alcohol”
- Fleur Shomo, his wife of 14 years, addressed his statement on her Instagram, while describing recent months as “very disorientating”
Caleb Shomo has come out as gay in a candid Instagram post.
On Saturday, May 23, the Beartooth frontman, 33, described himself as a “proudly gay man” in a lengthy statement shared on Instagram.
"There's been a lot of speculation surrounding my personal life as of late, and I feel compelled to set the record straight before it affects those I love any further," Caleb wrote. "I am a proudly gay man.”
“This is something I've been unpacking and reckoning with in my life for quite some time now,” he continued. “It's been difficult to navigate the feelings surrounding the subject and figure out what to do with this fact."
Credit: Erika Goldring/Getty
While striving to “chase who I am in the deepest part of my soul” through his rock band's music, Caleb admitted that he didn't allow himself to “really dig up the roots” of his "depression, self-hatred, self-loathing and hopelessness" for a long time.
“I spent a decade burying feelings with alcohol, and honestly, when I decided to put it down and focus on exploring why I felt this way for so long, it's been a direct path to me reconciling with my sexuality in hopes that it will eventually lead me to experiencing self-love,” he explained. “One thing I decided before I wrote a single note or lyric of the upcoming album is that whatever happens, I will express myself wholeheartedly and fully.”
From music to his personal life, Caleb made a commitment to embrace the “most honest depiction” of who he is. He also took a moment to thank the people and communities in his life who have supported him throughout his journey of self-discovery.
“I encourage anyone who's struggling with who they are to give yourself grace,” he wrote. “Do the hard work instead of burying it down as deep as you physically can thinking it will change like I did.”
“Holding these things in only hurt you and those around you,” he added. “Love you all, and hopefully this is a step in the right direction to loving myself one day.”
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Credit: Image Press Agency/NurPhoto/Shutterstock
Just hours after Caleb shared the emotional message, his wife of 14 years, Fleur Shomo, opened up about the “very disorienting and hurtful time” they have both been navigating in recent months.
“I will always want to love, protect and support Caleb,” Fleur wrote on Instagram alongside a video of the pair dancing. “I have cared more about his well-being over the years than anything else in the world.”
“To see the confusion and pain he went through and the highs and lows and wanting to help but now knowing how,” she continued. “You never want anything more for your person than for them to just be ok.”
Fleur went on to admit how difficult dealing with the “duality of this situation” has been for her, including the constant battle of wondering if she is a “bad person for wondering wtf this means for your world & the anger you also feel."
"I am the only person that is having to deal with the duality of this situation," Fleur wrote. "To support him whilst losing everything has been incredibly hard to figure out. You can love and support your person through the hardest time in their life, whilst also be completely demolished & lose yourself at the same time…"
Emphasizing that she will always support Caleb and cherish the years they spent together, Fleur confirmed that their marriage has come to an end.
“Our nearly 14 years of marriage was wonderful and full of so much fun, adventure & love,” she wrote. “Nobody will know anything about our marriage like we do. And no one can ever truly know what depths of love exist between two people unless they are those people. I already miss it & my husband more than anything. Our story was a good one. And now it is done.”
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