Andrew Gillum: ‘I don’t identify as gay, I identify as bisexual’
Gillum entered rehab for alcoholism and depression and gave an exclusive interview with Tamron Hall about his ordeal.
Andrew Gillum and his wife addressed the controversy that has surrounded the former gubernatorial candidate since he was found unresponsive in a hotel room and entered rehab on the season 2 premiere of The Tamron Hall Show.
“I cried every day,” Gillum told Tamron Hall.
Gillum and his wife, R. Jai Gillum, sat down with Hall for her eponymous talk show for the episode that aired on Monday, Sept. 14. A press release touted that he would “discuss his swift fall from grace, his rehabilitation experience in the face of adversity, and share what life looks like now.”
Gillum told Hall that it’s been an emotional time for him. The full interview continues with Gillum sharing his previously undisclosed sexual identity.
“I don’t identify as gay. I identify as bisexual. I’ve never shared that publicly before,” said the former Tallahassee, Fla. mayor.
Although the public was not aware of his bisexuality, his wife was fully informed before the couple’s marriage.
“I just believe that love and sexuality exists on a spectrum. All I care about is what’s between us and what agreement we make,” adds Mrs. Gillum.
Read More: Andrew Gillum recalls Kamala Harris’ advice to him during ‘dark’ time in rousing post
The exclusive sit-down interview comes six months since Gillum was found unresponsive in a Florida hotel room. As theGrio previously reported, the former mayor of Tallahassee was once seen as a rising star in the Democratic party after launching a gubernatorial bid in November 2018 but lost to Ron DeSantis by half a percentage point.
A little over a year later, Gillum was found half-dressed, drunk, and passed out in a Miami Beach hotel room with an acquaintance, Travis Dyson. Dyson had previously advertised his services as a gay male escort, according to Politico, and he suffered an apparent crystal meth overdose.
Read More: Andrew Gillum denies meth use after man allegedly overdosed at Miami hotel
Shortly after the incident in March, Gillum entered rehab for depression and alcohol in what he deemed to be a “wake up call.” He offered a “personal update” on his life in July with an Instagram post.
Gillum shared that he lost part of himself after losing his gubernational race and turned to drinking as a coping mechanism. He chose to pretend he was “living my best life” but after more than 16 years as a public servant, he started doubting his self -worth.
“All of that was all of a sudden gone, and caused me to think about my own purpose, and my own value and what I could contribute if anything,” he said. “I didn’t want to face any of those things so I numbed. I tried to suppress. I tried to ignore.”
Gillum credited his wife for standing by his side and that she “knows what I am and knows what I am not and she chooses to love me anyhow.”
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