Clay Aiken Says Rosie O'Donnell's 2006 Outing Left Him 'Dead Inside'
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Sep 19
Clay Aiken Says Rosie O'Donnell's 2006 Outing Left Him 'Dead Inside'
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 19
Summary
Clay Aiken, 47, said Rosie O'Donnell's on-air remarks on "The View" in 2006 left him "dead inside" and "freaked out" after he was awakened and told she had publicly identified him as gay.
The exchange followed Kelly Ripa's reaction on "Live with Regis and Kelly" after Aiken playfully covered her mouth; O'Donnell later called Ripa's comment homophobic while defending him.
Aiken said he holds no ill will toward O'Donnell and believes she meant well, but her words came in the heat of the moment during the live-TV dispute.
He did not publicly confirm he was gay until September 2008, when he told People after becoming a father that he could not raise a child "to lie or to hide things."