Jussie Smollett cleared up any doubts about his personal life that he chooses not to speak about in the media.
The "Empire" star taped a short behind-the-scenes segment with Ellen DeGeneres last week after giving his first live performance on her show and made it public that he is gay, although he never considered himself closeted.
"It was really important to me that it got across that there is no closet. There's never been a closet that I've been in," Smollett said. "But I have a home and that is my responsibility to protect that home. That's why I choose not to talk about my personal life, but there is, without a doubt, no closet that I've ever been in. And I just wanted to make that clear."
The announcement will come as no surprise to those who know Smollett, especially his mother. He also confessed that he takes her to the "'Sound of Music Sing-A-Long' every single year."
The 31-year-old actor stars as Jamal Lyon, the gay son of Lucious (Terrence Howard) and Cookie Lyon (Taraji P. Henson), on the Fox series. His character's sexuality butts up against his father's idea of manhood, particularly in the hip-hop community.
Jamal recently came out on the show at a party thrown by Lucious, using one of his father's most popular songs. The show about a hip-hop dynasty has continued to rise in the ratings every week since it premiered.
"Empire" airs on Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on Fox.
