Dwight Howard Addresses Questions About His Sexuality in Fox Sports Interview
NBA center Dwight Howard addressed questions regarding his sexuality, telling Fox Sports 1's Kristine Leahy he is not gay.
"I went through a situation last year that really just set me free," Howard said. "It ended up being a situation that was—it went viral. People were talking about it, and it upset me because I didn’t even know who the person was. Why would somebody who I never met, never had any contact with, make up a whole story about me? I saw all the hate, the pure hate, from people that I’ve never met before, just pile up everywhere I went.
"I think that liberated me. Because I saw how a lot of people would feel, whether they're gay or they're straight. Whether they have issues. People are afraid to be who they are. They're afraid to just step out and be. Because they're afraid of what other people might say or think about them. That situation made me realize you're not like this, but just be you, be free."
Leahy asked Howard to clarify that he meant he's not gay, which he then confirmed.
"I'm not gay," Howard said. "It’s a lot of people who are and they have to hide, and there’s people who have mental issues and they have to hide. There’s people who have different problems in life and they have to hide. They have to put on the mask every day, and it’s like, I don’t wanna wear no mask, I just wanna be."
Masin Elije posted a Twitter thread in November claiming a relationship with Howard. Elije said Howard and his team threatened him to avoid making the relationship public. The thread includes Instagram direct messages between the two along with various recordings of someone who is allegedly Howard.
Elije has since filed a lawsuit against Howard seeking damages. Howard countersued Elije in April and has denied the allegations.
Howard told Leahy the ordeal took him months to get over, including a period where he did not want to leave his house.
Howard was traded from the Washington Wizards to the Memphis Grizzlies earlier this offseason. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported the Grizzlies plan to trade or release Howard.
