Fox News anchor Shepard Smith is well-known for his talents as an anchor, but much less is known about his personal life. However, in 2016, after years of speculation, Smith finally confirmed to the world that he was, in fact, a gay man.
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Though Smith hasn’t spoken much about his sexuality since then, he opened up recently in an interview with the Clarion-Ledger.
“And that’s why it wasn’t until seven, or eight, or nine years ago, I started living my truth,” he said, citing the religious influences in his life while growing up.
Smith explained why he had avoided — though not denied — speaking about his sexuality for as long as he did:
A. You’re going to hell for it. B. You’ll never have any friends again. C. What are you going to tell your family? And by the way, you’re on television on the craziest conservative network on Earth.
The first time Smith publicly spoke about his sexuality, he was defending former Fox News CEO Roger Ailes.
Smith was asked if Ailes, who stepped down following a series of sexual harassment and discrimination scandals, had ever used a homophobic slur against him. He answered by saying that Ailes had never done such a thing and in fact was a close confidant.