Ricky Martin Says Barbara Walters Gave Him PTSD After Pushing Him To Come Out In ‘Violating’ Interview
Recalling the 20-year-plus iconic sit-down, Ricky Martin, 49, recalls having PTSD after Barbara Walters “violated” him while trying to get him to come out in their interview. Gracing People Magazine‘s annual Pride cover, the Latin singer also speaks with them on sexuality being “a complicated thing,” his history with dating women, and his personal tipping point in 2000 during his interview with Walters.
As a refresher, the legendary interviewer heckled him to admit to the rumors of him being gay, saying, “You could stop these rumors. You could say, ‘Yes I am gay or no I’m not.'” Martin simply said, “I just don’t feel like it.” 10 years later, the “Livin’ La Vida Loca” singer came out as gay and would marry his husband Jwan Yosef in 2017 and share four kids (Lucia Martin-Yosef, Valentino Martin, Matteo Martin and Renn Martin-Yosef). Now, recalling the interview, Martin says, “When she dropped the question, I felt violated because I was just not ready to come out. I was very afraid. There’s a little PTSD with that.”
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When asked if he wished he’d handled the question differently, he says, “Well, maybe I would have come out in that interview. It would’ve been great because when I came out, it just felt amazing. When it comes to my sexuality, when it comes to who I am, I want to talk about what I’m made of, about everything that I am. Because if you hide it, it’s a life-or-death situation.” Previously, Walters, who’s now retired at 91, also shared her regrets, claiming, “I pushed Ricky Martin very hard to admit if he was gay or not, and the way he refused to do it made everyone decide that he was. A lot of people say that destroyed his career, and when I think back on it now, I feel it was an inappropriate question.”
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