R&B star Khalid, known for hits like Young, Dumb, & Broke and Lovely, has officially come out as gay, though not entirely on his own terms. The 26-year-old singer addressed the news on social media after being outed by internet personality Hugo D Almonte in a string of dramatic and chaotic posts.
It all started when Almonte shared a photo of himself and Khalid on X (formerly Twitter), paired with the caption: “Bitch ass [ninja emoji] lied and said that I broke into his house cause I didn’t want him.” This followed an earlier tirade of tweets seemingly aimed at Khalid, including some wild claims about encounters with unnamed gay R&B singers and rappers. Almonte also hinted at “blowing this s–t up” before eventually sharing the photo.
In response, Khalid posted a rainbow flag with a series of exclamation points, followed by the cheeky comment: “There y’all go. Next topic please lol.” When someone replied, “Wait hope Mr Khalid isn’t GEHHH!,” Khalid confirmed with: “I am! And that’s okay.”
He later expanded on his feelings in a follow-up post:
“I got outted and the world still continues to turn. Let’s get this straight (lmao), I am not ashamed of my sexuality! In reality, it ain’t nobody’s business! But I am okay with me. Love y’all.”
While the circumstances were less than ideal, Khalid’s response has been refreshingly lighthearted and unapologetic.
The music industry quickly rallied behind him. Fellow artist MNEK called out Almonte’s behaviour, posting: “loser Loser LOSER LOSER behaviour @hugodalmonte,” and followed up with: “I don’t like that shit, that’s so WHACCCCCKKKKKKK.”
Despite the drama, Khalid is moving forward on his own terms. Fans are celebrating his coming-out moment, flooding his posts with love and support. Khalid’s openness will likely inspire others in the LGBTQ+ community, particularly in the R&B world, where representation is still growing.
As he put it best: “The world still continues to turn.” Indeed, it does, and hopefully with more pride flags waving.
