Beartooth frontman Caleb Shomo took to Instagram to make a brave announcement, revealing that he is a “proudly gay man.” And he is receiving support from his bandmate, bassist Oshie Bichar.
Bichar re-shared Shomo’s long statement on Instagram, adding a read heart emoji.
Shomo made the decision to speak out due to the speculation surrounding his sexuality in recent months.
“There’s been a lot of speculation surrounding my personal life as of late, and I feel compelled to set the record straight before it affects those I love any further,” Shomo wrote on Instagram. “I am a proudly gay man.”
He added that this is “been difficult to navigate.”
“When it comes to my art/Beartooth, I have always strived to chase who I am in the deepest part of my soul from album to album,” Shomo explained. “I spent a decade burying feelings with alcohol, and honestly, when I decided to put it down and focus on exploring why I felt this way for so long, it’s been a direct path to me reconciling with my sexuality in hopes that it will eventually lead me to experiencing self-love.”
This news comes after he and his wife, Fleur, divorced after 14 years together.
Fleur also shared a statement on Instagram, reacting to the news.
“The past few months have been a very disorientating and hurtful time to navigate. For both of us. But I will always want to love, protect and support Caleb. I have cared more about his well being over the years than anything else in the world,” she wrote on Instagram. “To see the confusion and pain he went through and the highs and lows and wanting to help and not knowing how. You never want anything more for your person than for them to just be ok.”
