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Gay News: Ellen DeGeneres has called gay rugby player Gareth Thomas a hero after he appeared on her chat show
By: Nigel Robinson
Gareth Thomas came out in 2011
Gareth Thomas came out in 2011
Gareth Thomas is a hero, says Ellen
6 January 2011
Following an interview on Tuesday, DeGeneres, who is also gay, tweeted: “Gareth Thomas is the first openly gay male athlete on any pro team. He’s a hero and I talked to him today.”
Gareth Thomas came out in December 2009, and was appearing on the chat show following reports that start Mickey Rourke is to portray him in a forthcoming biopic.
Thomas talked to DeGeneres how he used to hide his sexuality from his then wife, family and team mates.
“I became the master of playing the straight man,” he said.
“I would go to the bar with the boys, always be the one to start a fight, be out late and drink the most.
“I even went to the extreme of marrying the perfect person for me – the best woman on this planet.”
He revealed that before he got married he would go to the church where he and his wife were due to get married.
“I wouldn’t say anything to anybody,” he said. “I would just sit there and clench my hands and close my eyes as tight as I could and pray to be straight, or pray to be everything the world thought I should be.”
When he decided to come out, his wife was the first person he told, and then his parents.
After he came out to his family, nothing was said for three weeks, he told DeGeneres.
“Then I remember going back to my parents’ house and I sat down and there were three champagne glasses on the table.
“My father is a tough guy, many guys in Wales are tough guys and when he talks people listen, and he doesn’t talk very much.
“So we were sat there and Mum told him to fetch some champagne from the fridge. My father raised a toast to the start of the rest of my life and that meant my family could start to move on.”
