Khalid slams ex for outing him and ‘random’ allegations: ‘Where is this coming from?’
R&B star Khalid, on the heels of publicly disclosing his sexuality, is speaking out against the ex-boyfriend who allegedly outed him as gay on social media.
The Grammy-nominated “Location” hitmaker fired back at his ex and addressed a series of “very bothering” claims including accusations of paid sex, abuse and drug use in a video statement posted Monday afternoon on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter). “Where is this coming from? You tell me, ‘cause I really don’t know,” Khalid said.
Over the weekend, the 26-year-old singer came out as gay after he claimed someone beat him to the punch and he “got outted.” In a Friday tweet, Khalid wrote “I am not ashamed of my sexuality” and added that his sexuality “ain’t [nobody’s] business!”
The “Young Dumb & Broke” musician publicly came out shortly after another singer wrote about his personal relationship with Khalid in since-deleted tweets. Singer Hugo Almonte reportedly shared a photo of himself with Khalid and alleged that the “American Teen” artist “lied and said that I broke into his house,” according to Rolling Stone.
Inside a trendy Fairfax District sneaker store on a busy afternoon, Khalid is scanning the room looking for a pair that catches his eye.
In a statement to the magazine, Almonte said he did not intend to out anyone but rather sought “to share my story and share how he tried to use his power to silence me because I simply ended our relationship.” Almonte, who did not name Khalid, also alleged he has faced death threats and denied he was “chasing clout” with his tweets about the singer.
In his Monday missive, Khalid did not name Almonte but seemingly confirmed they were romantically involved “four to five years ago” but had not spoken since. “This is all random, I don’t know why he did it,” Khalid said after dismissing allegations that he ever consumed cocaine or paid for sex. He also denied he “accused anybody, publicly, of breaking into my house.”
“It’s just a little triggering seeing the few comments ... of people painting me as if I’m just some manipulative abuser,” Khalid said Monday. “It’s just crazy to me.”
After taking a deep breath, Khalid alleged “it’s the other way around.” He reassured followers that “if you know me you already know that’s not how I get down.” He said being outed and seeing his ex’s allegations has been hurtful, frustrating and has taken a personal toll, adding, “I never said I was unbothered by anything.”
He also clarified, “I don’t need a publicity stunt for attention. It’s not my vibe.”
That much was clear when Khalid seemingly downplayed his coming out, telling followers Friday that his recent revelation about his sexuality shouldn’t be an earth-shattering event. After confirming he is gay, Khalid wrote, “the world still continues to turn.”
Similarly in an earlier post shared Friday, Khalid tweeted a pride flag emoji with the text “there yall go. next topic please lol.” In another tweet, the 26-year-old singer responded to a fan, writing, “I am [gay]! And that’s okay.”
Khalid also responded to fans on X who said they previously suspected he was gay. One user wrote that “the closet was glass” and another user tweeted clips of Khalid dancing in the music video for his 2022 song “Satellite,” which they dubbed an “LGBTQ anthem.”
“I was never hiding,” he replied to the latter.
Billie Eilish called out Variety in an Instagram post for ‘outing me on a red carpet... instead of talking about anything else’ at its Hitmakers Brunch.
After his series of tweets Friday, Khalid voiced gratitude for fans who showed him love. He also said he might temporarily place music plans on hold, writing that he doesn’t “want anyone thinking I’m capitalizing off of this s—.”
Khalid, born Khalid Robinson, broke out in 2017 with his soulful single “Location” and has since released four albums including his latest, “Sincere.” He has also gone on to collaborate with Shawn Mendes, H.E.R. and Billie Eilish (who claimed last year she was also outed), among other artists.
In a 2017 interview with The Times, Khalid — then 19 — spoke of finding his voice in music and songwriting. His debut album, “American Teen,” was meant to be a “real representation of who I am as a person,” he said at the time.
“I really wanted it to be very broad and eclectic because that’s who I am,” he added. “It hits at a lot of different boundaries.”
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