Kendall Jenner has publicly addressed long running rumors about her sexuality, saying she is not a lesbian and that the way the speculation is discussed online is what upsets her most.
Speaking on Owen Thiele’s In Your Dreams podcast, Jenner said she was aware that a large section of the internet has believed for years that she is secretly gay. She said the rumors themselves are not offensive, but the tone in which they are often framed is hurtful.
She explained that instead of being supportive or welcoming, many of the comments are aggressive and judgmental, making the conversation feel hostile rather than inclusive.
Jenner said that if she were gay, she believes she would have come out by now. While acknowledging that coming out is not easy for many people, she said she knows herself well enough to say that she would be open about it at this point in her life if it were true.
“How mean people are about it. It’s not with, like, a welcoming arm of like, ‘Hey, if you were, yes, come join.’ It’s not kind,” said The Kardashians star. “It’s like very mean. It’s very like, ‘What the f—k are you doing?'”
The 30-year-old then added that if she were gay, she felt she would be out at this point in her life.
“I understand coming out is not an easy thing for anybody, if not most people. And I’m not saying that’s an easy thing, but knowing — and I can speak for myself here, and knowing myself — I think at this point in my life I’d be out if I was,” she shared, as Thiele also noted she’s surrounded by “love and support” in her life.
“I’m not saying it’s an easy thing. I’m just saying that knowing me and knowing how I would want to live my life, like, I would be. I’d have no problem being that,” Jenner continued.
She added that she’s also seen “really f–ked up things” online, including people saying being gay would be “bad for business” for her. “And I’m like, ‘What? How?’ I don’t understand it,'” Jenner said, while Thiele said, “being gay has only helped me, it’s my super power. It’s the reason I’m here today.”
“All’s to say, as of today, I am not,” she concluded. “I don’t think I will be, but I’m not closing doors to experiences in life.”
She also pushed back against claims she has seen online suggesting that being gay would be bad for her career, calling the idea confusing and wrong.
Jenner concluded by saying that she is not gay, but added that she is not closing herself off from experiences in life.
The model also spoke about her love life, saying she spent much of her twenties in long term relationships and decided at 29 to focus on herself, be more independent, and enjoy a period of choosing her own happiness.
