Clay Aiken recalls how coming out in 2008 hurt his career: “I lost maybe 50 percent of the fan base”
American Idol in 2003. He ended up a close runner-up to winner Ruben Studdard. Aiken’s debut album subsequently went multi-platinum.
In total, he’s sold around 5 million albums.He decided to come out in 2008, a few months after the birth of his son. Aiken told People magazine he was a gay dad.
He said he didn’t want to lie or ever put his son in a position where he felt the need to lie about his dad.Subscribe to our newsletter for a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.At the time, Aiken was appearing on Broadway in Spamalot.
In a new interview with People, he says the reaction to his coming out was immediate.“Back then it was a big deal,” he said. “The first four months that I was in, the show was selling out, standing room only.
