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Grammy-nominated R&B artist Khalid burst onto the scene in the music world when his 2017 album American Teen and its singles “Location” and “Young, Dumb & Broke” became international hits. He was nominated for Best New Artist, Best R&B Song and Best Urban Contemporary Album.
While he didn’t win any of the three, he became a household name before slowly sort of slipping out of public consciousness. He’s since released two more albums, Free Spirit (2019) and Sincere (2024). Both albums experienced differing levels of success but failed to reach the heights of his debut effort.
But on Friday, the 26-year-old Georgia native found himself back in the headlines for a different reason. An ex-partner of the musician posted a tweet about his relationship with a famous musician and how it had turned sour. The former partner then posted a picture of himself along with Khalid.
However, Khalid was not publicly out as gay at the time of the post.
I got outted and the world still continues to turn. Let’s get this straight (lmao) I am not ashamed of my sexuality! In reality it ain’t nobodies business! But I am okay with me 🖤 love yall
— Khalid (@thegreatkhalid) November 23, 2024
He responded to swirling rumors by confirming his sexuality.
“I got outted and the world still continues to turn. Let’s get this straight (lmao) I am not ashamed of my sexuality! In reality it ain’t nobodies business! But I am okay with me 🖤 love yall,” Khalid tweeted.
One (former) fan replied by saying he hoped that Khalid isn’t gay, to which the artist replied “I am! And that’s okay.”
All told, it’s a remarkable show of composure and grace from someone who was forced to open up about their personal life through no control of their own. It’s also pretty remarkable that someone coming out in 2024 is still seen as a big deal. But he still should have been able to do so on his own time should he have chosen to do so at some point.