Celebrity

The former Disney star casually addresses his sexuality when talking about how personal his upcoming film 'Reach' is to him.

• Aug 22, 2018

AceShowbiz - Former Disney star Garrett Clayton has 'come out' as a gay man.

The 27-year-old Hairspray Live! actor, who also starred in the Disney Channel's Teen Beach Movie, casually went public with his sexuality in a lengthy post on Instagram on Monday, August 20, as he explained how personal his forthcoming film Reach is to him.

Garrett plays a bullied teen battling suicidal thoughts in the emotionally-charged project, and he revealed so many topics tackled in the film really resonated with him.

"When I read the script for REACH, I immediately knew it was a film I had to be a part of," he shared. "I have personally dealt with suicide within my own family, intense bullying in high school, and - on top of it all - myself and the man I've been in a relationship with for a long time (@hrhblakeknight) have both experienced shootings within our hometown school systems, and have witnessed the heartache that takes place in affected communities after such tragic events."

"These topics - not always easy to discuss - are all close to my heart, and, knowing how serious they are, I wanted to share this with you all. This film has come from the perspectives of people who care deeply about these issues, and if watching it helps even one person... then it was all worth it."

With the release of my new movie REACH coming up, I thought it was important to explain why I took on this project in the first place. REACH deals with some very serious and timely topics that have affected me personally, and have likely influenced many of your lives as well. (I also prefer to share things that are particularly important for me here on my IG) instead of in some random magazine or online article - because you are the ones that have been rooting for me and following me on my professional and personal journey in life. When I read the script for REACH, I immediately knew it was a film I had to be a part of. I have personally dealt with suicide within my own family, intense bullying in high school, and - on top of it all - myself and the man I’ve been in a relationship with for a long time (@hrhblakeknight) have both experienced shootings within our hometown school systems, and have witnessed the heartache that takes place in affected communities after such tragic events. These topics - not always easy to discuss- are all close to my heart, and, knowing how serious they are, I wanted to share this with you all. This film has come from the perspectives of people who care deeply about these issues, and if watching it helps even one person... then it was all worth it. ♥️

A post shared by Garrett Clayton (@garrettclayton1) on Aug 20, 2018 at 10:01am PDT

The actor's brief mention of his boyfriend didn't get overlooked by fans, who flooded his comments section with supportive messages, and he took to Twitter to express his gratitude.

"Totally love and appreciate the support!" Garrett wrote.