“Glad he's free to live his truth”: Fans shower praise on Tevin Campbell as singer officially comes out 

R&B star Tevin Campbell recently decided to open up about his personal life and officially came out during an appearance on People’s Every Day Podcast. He shared that he first came out to his family and took on a journey to discover himself:

“When I came out to my family and friends [at] about 19 or 20, that was it for me. And then I went on the road of discovering myself. I didn’t know who I was.”

The musician also mentioned that he was happy to embrace himself, unlike many other “child stars” who fails to do the same:

“What makes me happiest right now is how far I’ve come in life. You know, there are a lot of child stars that don’t make it. But a lot of us do, and the fact that I’ve embraced me.”

Campbell further mentioned that although he was not officially out, he never attempted to hide his identity during his early years in the entertainment industry:

“I didn’t hide anything about me. I didn’t try to act a certain way or anything. You just couldn’t be [g*y] back then.”

He also shared that when he started playing the role of Seaweed J. Stubbs in the Broadway musical Hairspray, he finally discovered his true self:

“Being around people who were like me, LGBTQ+ people that were living normal lives and had partners. I had never seen that. That was a great time in my life.”

During the interview, Tevin Campbell also praised R&B artists like Lil Nas X and Frank Ocean for openly being a part of the LGBTQ+ community while finding success in the industry:

“It wasn’t like that in the ’90s, but I’m glad I get to see it. I’m glad that’s changing. There are a lot of kids, especially young Black boys that need to see representation. They’re not being taught to love themselves because of who they are.”

The Can We Talk singer received immediate support from fans after coming out, with many saying they are happy Campbell can now “live his truth”:

Prior to the latest interview, Campbell hinted at his identity when he wrote “Tevin Campbell is...” beside a rainbow flag in a now-deleted tweet from earlier this year.

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Fans pour in support as Tevin Campbell comes out during interview

Fans extended their support to Tevin Campbell after he officially came out (Image via Getty Images)

Tevin Campbell’s sexuality has long been subjected to speculation among his fans. Back in the day, the singer refused to officially call himself a part of the LGBTQ+ community during an interview with Sister 2 Sister. At the time, he said:

“I’m not gay but there’s a lot of things that I do like sexually. Being in the business, you are introduced to a lot of different things. I’m not gay but I am freak, and I think a lot people know what a freak is.”

The speculation further intensified after Campbell tweeted “Tevin is...” beside a rainbow flag emoji before deleting the tweet. The musician finally decided to come out during a recent interview and shared parts of his journey in embracing his true self.

Shortly after the interview, several social media users took to Twitter to pour in their support for Campbell:

Tevin Campbell began his journey in the music industry after signing with Warner Bros. Records in 1988 following an audition for jazz musician Bobbi Humphrey. He gained recognition the following year after collaborating with Quincy Jones for Tomorrow on the latter’s Back on the Block album.

Shortly after, he released his debut album, T.E.V.I.N, which went platinum and featured his highest-charting single, Tell Me What You Want Me to Do. Campbell released his second album, I'm Ready, in 1993, which earned double-platinum certification and had classics like Can We Talk, Baby Face, and I'm Ready.

Campbell’s third album, Back to the World, was released in 1996, and the fourth album, Tevin Campbell, was released in 1999. As part of his acting career, the performer appeared in Graffiti Bridge (a sequel to Prince's Purple Rain), The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and Moesha TV programs.

He also lent his voice to Powerline in Disney's A Goofy Movie and performed in the 2005 Broadway musical Hairspray as Seaweed. According to the Recording Industry Association of America, Tevin Campbell earned 5 Grammy Award nominations and has over five million records in the US.