Source: CMT
Country music fans have seen and heard host Cody Alan talk to all of their favorite country stars for years as a CMT and iHeartRadio host, and through all of his bubbly interviews, they had no idea he was in personal turmoil.
After years of keeping his own secret and trying to best figure out how to be happy, Alan has now revealed to the world that he is gay. The 44-year-old made the big reveal in an emotional Instagram post as well as in an interview with People magazine. “Though my TV or my radio persona was always that of a happy guy, there was this underlying ache inside of me for years, so I decided either I was gonna do something about it, or I was gonna live with this layer of misery underneath that happy face on TV,” he explained to the publication.
He went on to reveal that it took him some time to “accept the truth” but after coming to terms with his own sexuality, he says, “I now feel comfortable with myself to share it.”
In his coinciding Instagram post, Alan wrote, “2017. As we start a new year, there is something I want to share with you. You see, I’m gay. This is not a choice I made, but something I’ve known about myself my whole life. Through life’s twists and turns, marriage, divorce, fatherhood, successes, failures – I’ve landed on this day, a day when I’m happier and healthier than I’ve ever been.” He continued, “And I’m finally comfortable enough for everyone to know this truth about me. As we continue our journey, I hope this news won’t change how you see me. I’m still the same Cody I always was. You just know a little more about me now. My hope for the future is to live the most honest, authentic, loving, and open life possible. Here’s to being happy with yourself, no matter who you are, who you love, where you come from, or what cards life has dealt you.”
In his interview, Alan stated that he “struggled with [his] sexuality starting at a very young age,” but he decided to suppress the feelings and went forward with his career in broadcast as well as a marriage, to a woman. “I felt like getting married was what I was supposed to do. It’s what everyone wanted me to do, and I felt, somehow, like maybe that’s what would make me straight — and obviously that’s not how it works! But I dreamed of that family, which I now have.”
Check out Alan’s full story and road to self-acceptance here.