(Photo Credits: Ian D’Andrea, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

Caleb Shomo, the frontman and founder of Beartooth, has publicly come out as gay after revealing that his marriage to wife Fleur Shomo is ending following their 14 years together. The singer, who first gained attention as a member of Attack Attack! before launching Beartooth, shared a deeply personal announcement after months of mounting speculation about his sexuality.

The speculation intensified earlier this year and reached another level after the music video for Beartooth’s single “Free” was released last March. Atilla frontman Chris Fronzak noted Caleb’s more gender-fluid styling choices in the video, and tweeted on X, “Looks like Caleb Shomo dropped the ‘s.'” The joke was about his surname turning into “Caleb’s homo,” a play on “Shomo.”

The homophobic remark made headlines, which resulted in Shomo deleting his Instagram page and temporarily stepping away from social media while Fronzak posted an apology.

In his statement, Shomo described himself as a “proudly gay man” and explained that understanding his sexuality has been a long personal process. He reflected on years of emotional struggles, saying that sobriety and stepping away from alcohol helped him confront feelings he had buried for years. He also shared that this new chapter will influence future music and allow him to express himself more honestly.  He said:

“There has been a lot of speculation surrounding my personal life as of late and I feel compelled to set the record straight before it affects those I love any further. I am a proudly gay man,” he wrote on Instagram. “This is something I’ve been unpacking and reckoning with in my life for quite some time now. It’s been difficult to navigate the feelings surrounding the subject and figure out what to do with this fact.”

He continued, “When it comes to my art/Beartsooth, I have always strived to chase who I am in the deepest part of my soul from album to album. As you could gather if you’ve followed the band at all in the earlier years, there are 4 very self deprecating albums about exploring my religious upbringing, depression, self hatred, and hopelessness. I am grateful for all these albums, yet feel embarrassed at times that I wouldn’t allow myself to really dig up the roots for so long.”

He added, “I spent a decade burying feelings with alcohol, and honestly, when I decided to put it down and focus on exploring why I felt this way for so long, it’s been a direct path to me reconciling with my sexuality in hopes that it will eventually lead me to experiencing self-love.”

“One thing I decided before I wrote a single note or lyric of the upcoming album is that whatever happens, I will express myself wholeheartedly and fully. Wherever it takes me I will follow and I refuse to water any part of it down, from the music, to the lyrical content, and way I portray myself. I will only do what makes me happy at the deepest level and what is the most honest depiction of who I am,” he wrote. “I believe it’s impossible to love every part of you when you won’t face every part of you head on. I am trying to finally be proud of who I am and I think this is a massive part of that journey.”

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Meanwhile, Fleur Shomo released her own emotional message as well, acknowledging how painful and confusing recent months have been while emphasizing that she still wants to support Caleb. She spoke about balancing care for him while grieving the end of their relationship and remembered their marriage as one filled with love, adventure, and shared experiences. She also confirmed that their story as a married couple has come to a close. She said:

“I will always want to love, protect and support Caleb. I have cared more about his well-being over the years than anything else in the world. To see the confusion and pain he went through and the highs and lows and wanting to help but now knowing how. You never want anything more for your person than for them to just be ok.”

She added, “Our nearly 14 years of marriage was wonderful and full of so much fun, adventure & love. Nobody will know anything about our marriage like we do. And no one can ever truly know what depths of love exist between two people unless they are those people. I already miss it & my husband more than anything. Our story was a good one. And now it is done.”

You can read more about this story here.

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