After facing years of scrutiny from the public, Olympic champion swimmer Ian Thorpe has revealed he is gay in an interview with Sir Michael Parkinson. Thorpe also spoke openly about his struggles with depression.
“I’m not straight and this is only something that very recently – we’re talking in the past two weeks – I’ve been comfortable telling the closest people around me,” the 31-year-old athlete told veteran interviewer Sir Michael Parkinson.
In the 90-minute interview which aired last on Channel 10, Thorpe said through years of public scrutiny his sexuality had become the “big lie” in his life. “What happened was, I felt that the lie had become so big that I didn’t want people to question my integrity and a little bit of ego comes into this. I didn’t want people to think that I had lied about everything.”
Through the years Thorpe had previously insisted he was not gay, even writing in his 2012 autobiography, “For the record, I am not gay and all my sexual experiences have been straight.”
The five-time Olympic champion said he had wanted to come out for a long time, but “didn’t feel as though I could”. He said that although he does not feel like people had a right to question his sexuality, things would have been much easier if he had been honest from the start.
“I’m comfortable saying I’m a gay man. And I don’t want young people to feel the same way that I did. You can grow up, you can be comfortable and you can be gay,” he said. “I’m a little bit ashamed that I didn’t come out earlier, that I didn’t have the strength to do it, I didn’t have the courage to do it, to break that lie…But everyone goes on their own path to do this.”
Thorpe also told Parkinson that he had struggled with depression for a long time and agreed that keeping his sexuality a secret had contributed to this depression, which he at times self-medicated with alcohol.
“I am a tremendously successful athlete. I should be having the time of my life, and I’m not,” he explained. “A part of me didn’t know if Australia wanted its champion to be gay. I am telling not only Australia, I’m telling the world that I am and I hope this makes it easier for others now.”
Thorpe said his parents, friends and family responded to his news with love and support. Many Australian’s have rallied around Thorpe since the interview, congratulating him on his decision to come out.
“National stacks-on for @IanThorpe, you guys. What a beautiful dude,” tweeted Benjamin Law. “Thorpie is and will always be a superstar in my eyes!!!,” wrote fellow Olympian Stephanie Rice.
Commentator Joe Hildebrand has come under fire from his joke tweet about Ian Thorpe’s coming out. “Good on Thorpey for coming out as gay. Although if he really wanted to shock people he should’ve said that he was straight,” he tweeted on Sunday night. He has since been criticised for being insensitive and cruel.
“Whatever your opinion, remember that it’s OUR reaction to Ian’s news that determines how easy it is for the next gay superstar to come out,” wrote Olympic champion diver Matthew Mitcham. After the interview aired, Thorpe shared a tweet, thanking everyone for their support. “To Everyone who has sent a message of support I sincerely Thank you!,” he wrote.
