Luke Evans broke down in tears as he recalled the incredibly emotional moment he told his strict Jehovah’s Witness parents he was gay.
The Welsh actor and singer, 45, who is in a relationship with boyfriend Fran Tomas, knew his sexuality from a very young age but was too afraid to come out to his parents Yvonne and David in case they ‘disowned him’ because of their religion.
He also admitted he suffered an ‘extremely painful’ childhood, having been bullied in school for being Jehovah’s Witness and gay.
Speaking on Gay Star News podcast, Luke described the trauma he endured after suffering for years in silence about his sexuality.
He said: ‘When I was born in 1979, I was born to very young parents. They were newly Jehovah’s Witness, their life was all about that.’
‘I knew from such a young age that if I was going to have any happy life I had to leave and I knew that I would have to lose people and start again’, he added.
Luke Evans, 45, broke down in tears as he recalled the incredibly emotional moment he told his strict Jehovah’s Witness parents he was gay
The Welsh actor and singer knew his sexuality from a very young age but was too afraid to come out to his parents Yvonne and David in case they ‘disowned him’ because of their religion
Luke spoke about the time he sought help from the Samaritans one night after school at the age of 14.
He said: ‘I’d been into the yellow pages at age 14 and I had enough money to go to have one consultation with this physiologist. My friend at the time drove me there, I confided in her that I had these feelings.
‘I went to the Samaritans office and this very nice gay man opened the door and I sat with him. And he said very few words, he said “You are not alone, I am a gay man and I am very happy, I have lots of friends, I have a good life and you will too. You will just have to get through”.
‘I went home and somehow got through the next two years, knowing there was people out there like me. I just knew I needed to leave home and not hurt my parents. I knew by 13 or 14 I was clearly gay.’
Recalling the moment he came out to his mother, Luke was overcome with emotion as he read a chapter of his memoir, Boy From The Valleys: My Unexpected Journey.
He read: ‘After wandering for over an hour, we eventually ended up at the bottom of our street. I was painfully aware that to my mother what I just told her was effectually like holding my suicide note.
‘I was gay, so I would die at Armageddon. To her it was as simple as that.
‘I knew she wasn’t upset at the fact I liked men, but because the being gay meant that while she and dad got to live in paradise on earth, they were going to lose me. It’s still something my parents think to this day.
He also admitted he suffered an ‘extremely painful’ childhood, having been bullied in school for being Jehovah’s Witness and gay
Speaking on Gay Star News podcast, Luke described the trauma he endured after suffering for years in silence about his sexuality
Recalling the moment he came out to his mother, Luke was overcome with emotion as he read a chapter of his memoir, Boy From The Valleys: My Unexpected Journey
‘Mam did try to bring up religion during our conversation. As a Jehovah’s Witness it was her duty to protect the flock from any rotten apples and as an openly gay man, I was right up there with the worst of humanity.
‘Part of me still feared my mother might turn her back on me but during the course of that conversation I was beginning to believe that she wouldn’t.’
Beginning to tear up, he continued: ‘When we got back to the house, mam took me in her arms and I felt so…’
Struggling to get his words out, he said: ‘Sorry.’
Continuing reading the book, he said: ‘I felt so much love and acceptance in that hug and I started to cry.
‘Lying in bed that night, my overwhelming emotion was one of relief. Finally one of the two people I love most in the world knew the real me.
‘Mam now understood the trauma I had suffered over the years. I no longer needed to hide about who I really was.’
Luke said: ‘It’s really hard to read. I’ve read it so many times and then it still takes me back to that moment.
Luke is in a relationship with boyfriend Fran Tomas (pictured together last week)
‘There is so many moments. You put yourself back in the moment, it was euphoric in a way because she didn’t turn her back on me. I was ready to be thrown out and it didn’t happen.’
Asked what his childhood was like, Luke said: ‘Extremely painful. It made me angry that I couldn’t talk about it. I was a skinny kid, I wasn’t competitive, I wasn’t good at any sports, I was one of two boy Jehovah’s Witness in a school of 500.
‘I was the one who got bullied, I was called “Jovy”, Jehovah’s Witness slang.
‘As much as I tried to be nice, nobody wanted to mix with me. The boys were horrible and made my schooling unpleasant everyday of my school existence.’
Luke and Fran have been dating since summer 2019 and made their red carpet debut as a couple at the LuisaViaRoma for UNICEF winter gala in St Barts in December of 2022.
Their romance first came to light in May following his split from art director Rafael Olarra.
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