Chris Martin admits struggle with sexuality and homophobia

Chris Martin has revealed that he questioned his sexuality as a teenager - but his own homophobia made him suppress his feelings.

The Coldplay frontman explained to Rolling Stone magazine how being bullied at boarding school and exploring Evangelical Christianity made him fear thoughts that he might be gay.

Martin, 42, said: “When I went to boarding school I walked a bit funny and I bounced a bit, and I was also very homophobic because I was like, ‘If I’m gay, I’m completely f****ed for eternity’ and I was a kid discovering sexuality.

Chris Martin participates in the Global Citizens "Global Goal Live: The Possible Dream" press conference at St. Ann's Warehouse on Thursday, Sept. 26, 2019, in New York. (Photo by Greg Allen/Invision/AP)
Chris Martin has opened up to Rolling Stone magazine about struggles with his sexuality (Credit: AP)

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“‘Maybe I’m gay, maybe I’m this, maybe I’m that, I can’t be this’ so I was terrified and I walked a bit funny.

“And I was in a boarding school with a bunch of quite hardcore kids who were also gone for their thing and, for a few years, they would very much say, ‘You’re definitely gay,’ in quite a full-on manner, quite aggressively telling me that and it was weird for me for a few years.

“I don’t know [if I’m gay] and even if I am, I can’t be because it’s wrong… If I am, I can’t be.' So I was creating a terrible turmoil.”

But the Hymn For The Weekend singer claimed he had an “overnight” revelation.

Martin said: “About 15-and-a-half, I don’t know what happened, I was like, ‘Yeah, so what?’ and then it all just stopped overnight. It was very interesting. I was just, ‘So what if I’m gay?’

La actriz Gwyneth Paltrow, izquierda, y su esposo el cantante Chris Martin en la tercera gala anual Sean Penn & Friends Help Haiti Home en Beverly Hills, California. Paltrow y Martin se separan después de 11 años de matrimonio. Un mensaje publicado en el blog de la actriz de 41 años el martes 25 de marzo de 2014 señala que la pareja vivirá separada. (Foto Colin Young-Wolff /Invision/AP, archivo)
Chris Martin was married to Gwyneth Paltrow for 10 years (Credit: AP)

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“I don’t know what it was, maybe it was reading about Elton [John], I don’t know. Maybe it was growing up a bit and having a bit more exposure to the world - thinking, ‘A lot of my heroes are gay,’ or whatever. Whatever they are, it doesn’t really matter.

“So what that did was ease a big pressure and then made me question, ‘Hey maybe some of this stuff that I’m learning about God and everything - I’m not sure if I subscribe to all of this particular religion.'”

LONDON - JULY 2:  (MINIMUM FEE OF GBP250, OR LOCAL EQUIVALENT, PER IMAGE.ONLY FOR USE IN CONTEXT OF LIVE 8. NO USE THAT IS DEROGATORY OR DAMAGING TO THE BAND AID TRUST, LIVE 8 OR MAKE POVERTY HISTORY. NO SALES FOR ON-LINE USE) Musicians Sir Elton John and Chris Martin of Coldplay talk backstage at "Live 8 London" in Hyde Park on July 2, 2005 in London, England. The free concert is one of ten simultaneous international gigs including Philadelphia, Berlin, Rome, Paris, Barrie, Tokyo, Cornwall, Moscow and Johannesburg. The concerts precede the G8 summit (July 6-8) to raising awareness for MAKEpovertyHISTORY.  (Photo by Kevin Westenberg/Live 8 via Getty Images)
Chris Martin said Elton John coming out may have contributed to him becoming more comfortable with his own sexuality (Credit: Getty Images)

Martin was married to actress Gwyneth Paltrow from 2003 to 2014. They have two children - 15-year-old daughter Apple and 13-year-old son Moses.

He is believed to have been dating Fifty Shades Of Grey star Dakota Johnson on-and-off since 2017.