Ian Thorpe reveals he is gay, describes struggle with depression in tell-all int

Ian Thorpe reveals he is gay, describes struggle with depression in tell-all interview with Sir Michael Parkinson
ABC Updated 4 hours 54 minutes ago

Champion swimmer Ian Thorpe has revealed he is gay in an interview with Sir Michael Parkinson, after years of scrutiny from the Australian public.
In the tell-all interview that aired on Channel Ten on Sunday night, Thorpe also discussed his battle with depression, which he kept secret from his loved ones.
Thorpe had previously insisted he was not gay, and in his 2012 autobiography wrote: "For the record, I am not gay and all my sexual experiences have been straight."
Speaking with Sir Michael he said he was scared of how people would react if he came out as gay.
He said he had lied about his sexuality in the past, adding: "I'm not straight. And this is only something that very recently, we're talking in the past two weeks, I've been comfortable telling the closest people around me exactly that."
The five-time Olympic champion said he had wanted to come out for a long time, but "didn't feel as though I could".
"What happened was I felt the lie had become so big that I didn't want people to question my integrity," he said.
"And, you know, a little bit of ego comes into this. I didn't want people to question that... have I lied about everything?"
"I'm comfortable saying I'm a gay man. And I don't want young people to feel the same way that I did. You can grow up, you can be comfortable and you can be gay.
"I was concerned about the reaction from my family, my friends."
Thorpe said his parents were shocked but supportive.
"I'm pleased to say that in telling them, and especially my parents, they told me that they love me and they support me," he said.
"And for young people out there, know that that's usually what the answer is."
Thorpe said although he does not feel like people had a right to ask questions about his sexuality, his life would have been much easier if he had been honest from the start.
"People will criticise me, some people won't like the idea, other people may applaud me for it. But it's... it's me," he said.
"I'm a little bit ashamed that I didn't come out earlier, that I didn't have the strength to do it, I didn't have the courage to do it, to break that lie.
"But everyone goes on their own path to do this."
Thorpe flagged a potential career in politics - something he has "always" been interested in - and said he would like to have a family with a partner in the future.
"I love kids and I'd love to have a family," he said.

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