Crumbl CEO Sawyer Hemsley came out of the closet in a recent social media post. But perhaps not the way he wanted it.
“Over the past few years I have come to realize and accept that I am gay,” he wrote on Instagram on August 26th.
Hemsley speculated about the CEO’s sexuality, according to rumors that he pretended to include an August 22 Tiktok video for influencer Grant Gibbs. “I literally never saw a gay guy,” he wrote in the caption in the post. The video has received over 18.8 million views. The commenter said, “After seeing him for two seconds already known, I just checked out ‘Crumbl Cookie CEO’. ” “Gader never got off that fast,” Gibbs then apologized to Hemsley in a follow-up video (jokingly);
Celebrities and public figures regularly face speculation about sexuality. Name some Shawn Mendes, Kit Connor and Khalid. But should they do, especially when they still understand it? And do they need to say something about it either way?
Short answer: No. Mental health experts say, as the outcome can be disastrous, especially if someone is pushed out of the closet. Spin social media or Google Anti-LGBTQ+ laws in the US once to see why.
Guessing about sexuality is in the way
Connor, the star of Netflix’s “Heart Stopper,” came out as bisexual after feeling immeasurable pressure several years ago.
“I’ve come back for a minute. I’m BI. Congratulations to you forcing someone 18,” Connor wrote in a short tweet. Fans have accused the star of “Queer Baiting.” It appears that straightforward cisgender people have acquired LGBTQ+ fashion, music, acting roles and more.
That blunder highlighted what would happen when QueerBaiting failed. “There is a huge difference between exploitative, LGBTQ-mediated representation and audiences raising legitimate concerns about queer bait and online trolling.
The same can be said about singer Mendes, whom I mentioned in October 2024. For a star who hasn’t actually said anything definitive about his sexuality, countless social media posts are certainly true, as if he were talking about it without evidence. Certainly, anyone can freely discuss what they like personally. But talking about someone’s sexuality on a public forum is a completely different kind of intrusion when they’re not used to it.
Hemsley also experienced this firsthand.
Sawyer Hemsley doesn’t borrow answers from us
Unlike the average person, why not expect celebrities, influencers, or otherwise people in the public eye to ask questions about their lives?
Yes, no. “The nature of celebrity journalism is to gather as much information as possible about celebrities we definitely know too well,” Williams explained. “Even so, disclosure should remain a matter of choice, as celebrities and non-celebrities do not owe any public confirmation or explanation about their sexual orientation.”
Experts say people never feel obligated to come out, especially when safety is at risk. And even when they are more privileged like Hemsley, if they are not ready, people should not leave either. And “Ideally, we’re working on creating a world to “come out” to create a world without boxes or closets. “Until that shift occurs, we have to deliberately choose who we want to celebrate our identity.”
Hemsley didn’t come out as planned – the way they should have crushed the cookies if you did. But all of his posts come up are: “At the end of the day, I am deeply grateful for the opportunities I had, those who supported me, and for the opportunity to live and share my story. It is a journey of growth and integrity and I will never stop thanking you.”
And no one can take that way from him.
