Jeff Molina reveals he got blackmailed for money after 'petty' issue caused intimate video leak

Jeff Molina recently came out as bisexual following the nonconsensual publication of an intimate video of him with a man online. Molina's decision to come out as the first male UFC athlete to officially identify as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community may not have been handled perfectly, but the support he has received from fans and peers has been incredibly moving.

While some people welcomed the news with open arms, others were not as enthusiastic. In other cases, people used this as a way to blackmail Jeff Molina, threatening to repost the video unless they were paid between $10,000 and $25,000.

Jeff Molina made every effort to have the video taken down from the internet. In retrospect, he is glad that he came out in public since doing so will help eradicate prejudice against LGBTQ people and give hope to those who are experiencing the same.

Speaking in a recent interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Jeff Molina revealed how he was blackmailed for money after a petty issue caused the leak of the initmate video:

"The guy who posted it wanted an apology from me for something petty. I think it was the second post that I got like 2-3 DMs on Twitter like, 'Send me $10,000 or $25,000 or I'm going to post this.'...Immediately it's like my life is in shambles. I'm going through it, I'm bawling."

Eventually, Jeff Molina's heart was warmed by the abundance of internet support he received for his courage. He added:

“A couple hours went by and I got an influx of support. It was heartwarming to get messages from fellow athletes that are closeted, fellow UFC fighters that are closeted, people with notoriety that were just like, ‘Hey man, it’s an inspiration, and it sucks on the terms that it happened, but you’re an inspiration. It’s inspiring for you to come out and be the first male UFC fighter to be out.’'

Check out Molina's comments below (3:19:00):

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Jeff Molina claims that wants to be recognized for his skills and inspire people with his performances

Discrimination and inequality based on a person's gender or sexual orientation persist in today's society. Combat sports athletes face additional challenges to reveal their sexuality due to patriarchy and societal expectations that men should exhibit strong masculinity.

Jeff Molina, who has faced similar discrimination, hopes that his story will inspire others. However, he wants to be recognized first and foremost as a skilled MMA competitor, and he hopes that his body of work is not reduced to being the first male UFC fighter to come out as bisexual.

Speaking in the aforementioned interview, Jeff Molina added:

“I wanted to be known for my skills, man. I’ve been doing this since I was 14-years-old.... I’m not the most athletic kid in the world, but I train my ass off, I’m in the gym every day, two to three times a day. And this wasn’t something that I wanted to be known for. This is, again, so small and isn’t my personality. It’s a part of who I am, but it’s not me, if that makes sense. .... If I can inspire other people, then that’s what I want to do.”