Disney Channel Star Garrett Clayton Comes Out

The New York Daily News reports:



Disney Channel star Garrett Clayton, who starred in “Teen Beach Movie” as well as NBC’s “Hairspray Live,” came out as gay Monday in a moving Instagram post. Clayton, 27, penned the post as an explanation as to why he signed on to the upcoming film “Reach,” and quietly slipped in the fact that he has been in a relationship with a man “for a long time.”

“Reach” is about a socially awkward teenager who plans to kill himself after relentless bullying, but whose plans are thrown for a loop when he befriends the new kid at school.

Clayton appeared in “Teen Beach Movie” and its sequel as star Tanner, and in “Hairspray” as leading man Link Larkin. He also appeared in five episodes of “The Fosters,” and in “King Cobra” as a gay porn star.

With the release of my new movie REACH coming up, I thought it was important to explain why I took on this project in the first place. REACH deals with some very serious and timely topics that have affected me personally, and have likely influenced many of your lives as well. (I also prefer to share things that are particularly important for me here on my IG) instead of in some random magazine or online article – because you are the ones that have been rooting for me and following me on my professional and personal journey in life. When I read the script for REACH, I immediately knew it was a film I had to be a part of. I have personally dealt with suicide within my own family, intense bullying in high school, and – on top of it all – myself and the man I’ve been in a relationship with for a long time (@hrhblakeknight) have both experienced shootings within our hometown school systems, and have witnessed the heartache that takes place in affected communities after such tragic events. These topics – not always easy to discuss- are all close to my heart, and, knowing how serious they are, I wanted to share this with you all. This film has come from the perspectives of people who care deeply about these issues, and if watching it helps even one person… then it was all worth it. ♥️

A post shared by Garrett Clayton (@garrettclayton1) on