simply divine

‘X Factor’ star Lorenzo Licitra set to play Jesus, but his romance with Gabriele Rossi is a match made in heaven

By · Updated on January 30, 2024
Lorenzo Licitra and Gabriele Rossi
Lorenzo Licitra (left) and Gabriele Rossi (right). Credit: Instagram (@lorenzolicitraofficial, @gabrielrossioff)

Out singer Lorenzo Licitra is about to step into some pretty intimidating shoes sandals for his next role.

The 31-year-old singer has been cast to play the son of God in the titular role of a new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s hit rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar in Italy, per the official site for the Rome Tourist Board.

Gay Jesus is risen!

While he may not be a household name in the U.S., the handsome crooner has been making beautiful music for nearly seven years.

It 2017, Licitra first rose to international fame upon being crowned the winner of X Factor Italy.

Sporting a dashing beard and a set of stellar pipes, Licitra beat out burgeoning rock group Manëskin for the top prize on the reality competition series.

Watch the emotional moment for yourself:

Licitra has gone on to release several singles in both English and Italian including “In the Name of Love”, “Sai Che Ti Ho Pensato Sempre,” “Eli Hallo,” “Never Give Up,” and “Libero,” among others.

From power ballads to anthemic pop, the boy can sannnnng!

While he wasn’t out during his time on X Factor, Licitra publicly revealed his truth via his actor boyfriend Gabriele Rossi in 2021. The 35-year-old starred in the 2023 thriller Assassin Club opposite Henry Golding and has appeared on Italian TV shows like Un Passo Dal Cielo and L’isola.

Rossi, who had come out a year earlier, was in the midst of a television interview when he announced he was in a relationship with Licitra.

Up until then, Licitra said he never felt any urgency in discussing the details of his personal life.

“I never felt the need to say who I was with, who I had next to me,” Licitra told Italian outlet Gay.It in 2023. “When Gabriele arrived in my life he certainly made this side easier for me, precisely because it was all natural, beautiful. I lived it in a serene, calm way.”

While they’ve now been together for four years, the pair first started communicating after Rossi slid into his DMs. They kept texting for over a year and finally met up in person just before the start of the pandemic.

“He wrote to me immediately after X Factor on Instagram, and on January 8, 2020 we met in Florence and never left each other again,” Licitra added.  “Then let’s say that Covid made those 3 and a half years seem like eight, because we lived it together. That was also a good test, because we had known each other for very little.”

Licitra says it would be “beautiful” to headline a Pride event this year and wants to use his platform to increase visibility for the LGBTQ+ community in Italy.

“If we have the voice, the authority, the image to speak up, it is our duty to help change the way people think,” he shared. “I’m someone who says what they want to say and isn’t afraid of what people might think. I have come to live my life peacefully and I would like everyone to be able to as well.”

For those eager to see an out and proud gay man play Jesus, Licitra will make his debut in Jesus Christ Superstar on March 7th at the Sistina Chapiteau in Milan, before taking it to Teatro Sistina in Rome later in the month.

Scroll down for a few more of our favorite shots of Lorenzo and Gabriele below:

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