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Colton Haynes Confirms He’s Gay, Says He Didn’t Feel Like He ‘Owed Anyone’ to Talk About It

Colton Haynes
Colton HaynesJoe Scarnici/Getty Images

In a candid new interview, Colton Haynes publicly confirmed his sexuality for the first time while chatting with Entertainment Weekly.

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Fans had originally started speculating in January when the Arrow star’s old modeling photos surfaced on Tumblr. The 27-year-old replied on Tumblr at the time with a simple, “Was it a secret?” but Haynes told EW that he wasn’t ready to come out just yet.

“It was a complete shock,” the CW star recalled to the magazine of people’s reaction to his message. “I wasn't ready to be back in the headlines. I should have made a comment or a statement, but I just wasn't ready. I didn't feel like I owed anyone anything. 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."

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Amid fan speculation, Haynes checked into rehab for anxiety and, according to EW, found himself in and out of the hospital over the course of the next three months.

“People want you to be that GQ image that you put out, but people don’t realize what it’s like to act 24 hours a day. I’d go home and I was still acting,” Haynes explained. “People who are so judgmental about those who are gay or different don’t realize that acting 24 hours a day is the most exhausting thing in the world.”

The actor — who was out to those closest to him, including his family and costars — now feels free and ready for the next chapter in his life.

“It took me so long to get to this point, but I’m doing so good,” Haynes concluded. “I’m happier than I’ve ever been, and healthier than I’ve ever been, and that’s what I care about.”

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