Singer Sanjaya Malakar has just revealed he’s bisexual.
The 32-year-old American Idol alum spoke about his sexuality in a recent appearance on the Adam Sank Show podcast.
“I identify as bisexual,” Sanjaya, who appeared on the reality singing competition in 2007 when he was just 16, said.
“At the time, I did not know, which was why it was so weird for me… I was raised by women, I was in theater, I had a hard time figuring out how to interact with young boys.”
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He added, “Everyone [kept] telling me that I’m gay, and I’m, like, seven. I’m ,like, I don’t even have any attraction to anyone, so why are you telling me this?”
Sanjaya went on to explain that, at the time of his Idol season, he was actually dating a teenage girl. But that didn’t stop people from speculating he was gay.
“I was exploring my life as a child, and then American Idol happens, and everyone’s like ‘He’s gay.’ And I’m like, ‘Well, now I have to say “No.’ Because at this point, they’re forcing me to make a decision, and to define myself.”
He continued, “I grew up in a time when being called ‘f*ggot’ in school was the worst thing that could ever happen to you.”
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Today, Sanjaya works as a pastry chef in Montana. He says bullying is something he had to endure during his entire time on Idol, and that it all started with Simon Cowell, who called his teenage singing abilities “utterly horrendous.”
“I definitely had quite a bit of verbal abuse from stepdads growing up,” Sanjaya recalled. “So I was really good at letting it kind of wash off my back.”
“Obviously, it affected me. But more than what Simon said, what was perpetuated online by haters… like, the people that loved me were so balanced by people that were literally starving themselves until I got cut from the show.”
“So that effect that I had as a child on that many people had way more of an effect on me than the things that Simon was saying.”
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Sanjaya went on to say that, even to this day, he hasn’t discussed his sexuality with his parents. Although he doesn’t expect they would have an issue with it.
“At this point, I don’t care what people know of my sexuality,” Sanjaya says. “If I got into a serious, long-term relationship with a guy, I would bring him to my family, and they would be like, ‘Oh, cool.’”
charette8596
Good for you man. Be proud of who you are. However, I’m glad you’re a good pastry chef because you weren’t ever going to get people to pay to hear you sing.
Gadfeal
1. Simon’s trademark snark was not personal – just born of a man himself “bullied” as a child for being “not 100% English” with Polish and Jewish ancestry. However, the truth was that Sanjaya’s singling was good but not enough to make it in the industry alone with no other gimmick or band members, and Simon was then just disagreeably insulting to all and sundry; I would hardly call it “bullying” if someone makes a comment in line with all his comments and had an element of truth. If he had been “namby pamby” and sugar coated everything, Sunjaya may have fruitlessly wasted years of frustration in the music industry.
2. Sanjaya’s singling was good enough but not original, and not inventive enough to be very successful. He should be glad that he was told that as a wide eyed teenager.
Kangol2
Very glad to hear he’s in a better place these days, and living his truth. I figured out he was probably in the LGBTQ family back then but I also felt he was probably going to be subjected to bullying and taunting because of Simon’s harsh critiques (which I agree weren’t personal; Simon was cruel across the board, and much harsher on the British version than the US one), his race and appearance, and the fact that he was nowhere ready or able to be out. I’m happy to hear he made it through that difficult period and wish him the very best.
JeffBaker
You go, Sanjaya! I didn’t realize I was Bi until I was about 20!
mz.sam
Meh, a non-eventful article.