Disney star Matthew Scott Montgomery shares his harrowing conversion therapy experience
Former Disney star Matthew Scott Montgomery has opened up about his heartbreaking experience with conversion therapy. In the 2010s, the Smoosh actor starred in an array of Disney Channel shows, including Shake It Up, Austin & Ally, and So Random!
While Montgomery cultivated a successful career on the network, his life behind the scenes was far from perfect. In a recent interview on Christy Carlson Romano’s podcast Vulnerable, the Howdy, Neighbor star reflected on his conservative upbringing and rough coming-out experience. “My parents are very, very conservative.
How I grew up is: you find what sport you’re good at, you get a scholarship for that,” he explained. “If that doesn’t work, you get a scholarship for grades, go to college, find a woman to get married [to] and then get a house and that was the only option I was told or saw.” While his childhood was extremely restrictive, Montgomery was able to explore his queer identity when he moved to Los Angeles.
After starring in the LGBTQIA+ play, Yellow, he came out to his parents – which didn’t go well. “My mom collapsed sobbing when she found out.
