A “proud” pop singer Ricky Martin officially came out to the public Monday, acknowledging that he is a “fortunate homosexual man.”
In a statement, Martin said that the decision to come out was spurred by an internal self-realization process that came while writing his memoirs.
“From the moment I wrote the first phrase I was sure the book was the tool that was going to help me free myself from things I was carrying within me for a long time. Things that were too heavy for me to keep inside,” said Martin in a statement. “Writing this account of my life, I got very close to my truth. And this is something worth celebrating.”
Fans had long speculated that Martin was homosexual, but this is his first direct acknowledgement of his sexuality.
He added that he initially felt pressure to conceal his sexuality based on advice from people he loved “dearly”–they said that coming out as homosexual could hurt his career.
“Because all this advice came from people who I love dearly, I decided to move on with my life not sharing with the world my entire truth,” said Martin . “Allowing myself to be seduced by fear and insecurity became a self-fulfilling prophecy of sabotage. Today I take full responsibility for my decisions and my actions.”