Colton Haynes has officially come out as gay.
Although the former Arrow star makes clear in a new interview with Entertainment Weekly that it was never a fact he tried to keep in.
Speculation of Haynes’ sexuality ran a bit rampant in January after the star’s former modeling photos surfaced on Tumblr.
At the time, the 27-year-old responded by simply asking the following question on on social media:
“Was it a secret?”
So, yes, he basically confirmed the news back then.
But Haynes tells EW that he wasn’t prepared to come all the way out just yet.
“It was a complete shock,” Haynes says to the magazine, explaining:
“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.”
Following the chatter earlier this year, Haynes actually checked into rehab for anxiety.
According to this EW feature, he found himself in and out of the hospital over the course of the next three months, just trying to deal with strangers talking about his sexual preferences.
“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,” he says.
“I’d go home and I was still acting. 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.”
Haynes says most of those close to him have known he’s gay for awhile now.
He’s just been living his life, not trying to actively fool anyone for any reason.
But also not trying to make any grand statements… until now.
“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.”
We send our best wishes to Haynes for this brave interview… and we wonder how he can possibly ever top last year’s Halloween costume.