NEW YORK, Sept. 24, 2008

Clay Aiken Confirms He's Gay

American Idol Runner-Up And Broadway Actor Goes On The Record In People Magazine

  • Clay Aiken, who gained fame as the runner-up on Photo

    Clay Aiken, who gained fame as the runner-up on "American Idol" in 2003, rarely addressed the frequent rumors about his sexuality.  (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

  • Interactive Gay In The U.S.A.

    State-by-state laws on gay issues, the marriage debate and photo essays.

(CBS/ AP)  Clay Aiken is finally confirming what many people already knew: He's gay.

The cover of the latest People magazine shows Aiken holding his infant son, Parker Foster Aiken, with the headline: "Yes, I'm Gay." The cover also has the quote: "I cannot raise a child to lie or hide things."

The magazine has an interview with Aiken and confirmed that he was on the cover but refused to release the article to The Associated Press until Wednesday.

The baby's mother is Aiken's friend and record producer Jaymes Foster.

Aiken, who gained fame as the runner-up on "American Idol" in 2003, rarely addressed the frequent rumors about his sexuality. In an interview with The Associated Press two years ago, he said: "I don't really feel like I have anybody to answer to but myself and God and the people I love."

In 2006, Aiken dismissed a question about his sexuality from ABC News' Diane Sawyer as "rude."

The multiplatinum singer recently released the CD "On My Way Here" and made his Broadway debut this spring in "Monty Python's Spamalot."

© MMVIII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Video and Galleries from Entertainment

Add a Comment See all 141 Comments
by myopinion1 September 24, 2008 7:23 AM PDT
Great. Another person with the disease of homosexuality buying a child to raise. Disturbing trend in this country. It is very well known that g.a.y.s have something wrong with their brain, but yet we allow them to raise children with their bizarre behaviors and unacceptable, vile s.e.x.ual practices. The day that two g.a.y people can, NATURALLY, have s.e.x. and produce a child is the day I will accept it. No surrogates, no adoption, no IVF, just natural tab A into slot B s.e.x, THEN I will accept it. Until then, it is unnatural and an abomination. There is nothing you will ever do to change the mind of millions.
Reply to this comment
by credibility2 September 24, 2008 7:29 AM PDT
Like as if any reasonable and intelligent person wasn''t able to spot this one years ago. Oh goody, now he''ll talk more with a lisp and use silly girly mannerisms to make his points.
Reply to this comment
by ofbyfor2 September 24, 2008 7:31 AM PDT
Posted by MyOpinion1 at 07:23 AM : Sep 24, 2008

You are truly a moron. Something definitely seems wrong with YOUR brain.
Reply to this comment
by ofbyfor2 September 24, 2008 7:32 AM PDT
Wonder what Kathy Griffin''s take on this will be? ;)
Reply to this comment
by sly_64 September 24, 2008 7:35 AM PDT
Who cares ?
Reply to this comment
by claytonantho September 24, 2008 7:35 AM PDT
Who cares, who cares, who cares!!! Now that he has admitted to the world-ending news that he is gay, does that mean his fans are supposed to now feel a little fuzzy from now on. Gay rights groups I guess are having a party tonight.
Reply to this comment
by claytonantho September 24, 2008 7:41 AM PDT
Once he got word of the news, George Michael invited Aiken to his London bathhouse. Well-known *** are lining up to "get to know" their new member. Elton John is fighting George Michael for "first rights" to Aiken.
Reply to this comment
by tootall10142 September 24, 2008 7:41 AM PDT
OMG! YOURE KIDDING ME. I NEVER SUSPECTED HIM OF BEING GAY.HE WORE SUCH STYLISH CLOTHES AND ACTED A LITTLE EFEMINITE BUT NEVER SUSPECTED HE WAS GAY UNTIL HE OPENED HIS MOUTH AND SPOKE.MAY HAVE BEEN BETTER FOR HIS CAREER TO STAY IN THE CLOSET.BUT THEN THERE ARE A LOT OF GAY MUSIC LOVERS THAT WILL SUPPORT HIM.I PERSONALLY NEVER LIKED THE MANS SINGING.MOST EVERY THING HE SINGS SOUNDS THE SAME TO ME LIKE KENNEY CHESNEY . THAT MAN COULDNT CARRY A TUNE IN A BUCKET BUT NEITHER COULD GARTH BROOKS.ONLY IN AMERICA.I DONT CONDONE GAY LIFESTYLE BUT I DO FEEL SORRY FOR THEM THEY WONT HAVE TO EXPLAIN TO GOD HE ALREADY KNOWS AND HAS JUDGED.I WISH HIM LUCK IN HIS ENDEAVORS IN THIS LIFE .
Reply to this comment
by dabsgram September 24, 2008 7:47 AM PDT
Who cares? I look to this suit for news. This is not news; just another celebrity looking for publicity. His *** life is no one else''s business.
Reply to this comment
by jjp735i September 24, 2008 7:50 AM PDT
number one, who cares and number two, we already knew.
Reply to this comment
by whatithink1 September 24, 2008 7:51 AM PDT
SHOCKER!
Reply to this comment
by mrvolleyba11 September 24, 2008 7:58 AM PDT
ditto!!!
Reply to this comment
by applerocks-2009 September 24, 2008 7:59 AM PDT
Does he want a medal??? Seriously, the middle of an election year, our economy is falling apart, tons of people are losing their jobs, and we''re supposed to care about something EVERYONE already knew?
Reply to this comment
by mrvolleyba11 September 24, 2008 8:05 AM PDT
exactly who cares! obviously only came out for the publicity. ...it is nobody''s business or even news worthy in the least bit, have never noticed my music segragated by "gay artist" or "straight artist" in the music stores.
Clay admitting he''s gay is about as news worthy as the rolling stones admitting they''ve done drugs, DUH!
Reply to this comment
by hwy71so September 24, 2008 8:18 AM PDT
...another voting for Obama right there.
Reply to this comment
by petro49l September 24, 2008 8:21 AM PDT
Clay did well in the music business as openly gay. His straight guy profile was a flop. Why not go with the winning formula?
Reply to this comment
by fsw3 September 24, 2008 8:22 AM PDT
We are forty-one days away from one of the most historic elections in U.S. History, we have a ten trillion dollar debt, a rising deficit, two ongoing and seemingly endless and pointless wars, we are having the most severe financial crisis in a half a century and at this time, CBS News, once the most distinguished news organization in the nation devotes its time to entertainers and their s.e.x. organs...Lindsey Lohan and Clay Aiken.
Reply to this comment
by kristin1228 September 24, 2008 8:29 AM PDT
why is this news? honestly cbs, what''s wrong with you all?
Reply to this comment
by madeupnews September 24, 2008 8:40 AM PDT
And Sally Struthers admits she''s fat! What a newsflash.
Reply to this comment
by thickredhair September 24, 2008 8:43 AM PDT
stop the presses, stop the presses.... clay has comfirmed what we have all know for years
Reply to this comment
by lily1972 September 24, 2008 8:47 AM PDT
all of america has known that!!
Reply to this comment
by recession1 September 24, 2008 8:50 AM PDT
IS THERE ANYONE SURPRISED?? I MEAN REALLY??!!
Reply to this comment
by u-r-right September 24, 2008 8:50 AM PDT
Goodbye Mr. Gayken. Your career as a crooner was played out anyway. Now you can comfortably be number one in the number two hole.
Reply to this comment
by gop_will_win September 24, 2008 8:53 AM PDT
Maybe he can save his soul by going to repatriative therapy.
Reply to this comment
by rushlimpdrug September 24, 2008 8:57 AM PDT

"Clay Aiken Confirms He''s Gay"


He can get cured by getting religion.

Religion can teach him to feel soo
guilty that he can marry a WOMAN to cover
up his being gay.


Meanwhie:
"In 2006, Aiken dismissed a question about his sexuality from ABC News'' Diane Sawyer as "rude." "

Diane Sawyer is not rude she is just stupid
like all the other "journalist".

Reply to this comment
by jetlizhan September 24, 2008 9:06 AM PDT
this isn''t news to me, but then i really don''t care. he''s a gifted singer and seems to be a very nice guy. i think he''ll be a terrific dad. leave him alone.
Reply to this comment
by wadyaknow September 24, 2008 9:18 AM PDT
My God! Shocked! Now I bet you''ll tell me that Nathan Lane is gay too. What? He is? And Michael Feinstein too! OMG what is the world coming to. Thank God we still have real str8 men out there like Richard Gere and Tom Cruise.
Reply to this comment
by feedback3-2009 September 24, 2008 9:20 AM PDT
Thanks for the confirmation Clay, cause we weren''t sure (not that there''s anything wrong with that).
Reply to this comment
by meboard September 24, 2008 9:29 AM PDT
I congratulate Mr. Aiken for coming out and encourage more folks out there to come forward with their true orientation. I hope that he will turn his star power to helping our GLBT community advance our cause and help educate America on our issues and concerns. As you can see from most of the posts below%u2026America needs a lot of educating on this issue.
Reply to this comment
by thcarson-2009 September 24, 2008 9:29 AM PDT
Duh
Reply to this comment
by generey September 24, 2008 9:32 AM PDT
WELL DUH HUH. Propaganda I tell ya, PROPAGANDA!!!!
(Americans are getting killed, economy is in a meltdown, people are STILL talking *** about m''man Barack and this little queer makes news headlines?)
Reply to this comment
by shanev137 September 24, 2008 9:38 AM PDT
He looks like my friends aunt.
Reply to this comment
by concorde5 September 24, 2008 9:39 AM PDT
We need to stay out of other people''s personal business!

Aiken doesn''t need to explain his sexuality to anyone. It''s none of our business.
Reply to this comment
by jusdane September 24, 2008 9:46 AM PDT
As if this is news! Who couldn''t know that the way he acted? Now go back into your wittle cwoset.
Reply to this comment
by kindred33-2009 September 24, 2008 9:47 AM PDT
THANK YOU CBS FOR TELLING THE MOST IMPORTANT NEWS STORIES. I CAN SLEEP BETTER AT NIGHT KNOWING THAT THERE IS NOTHING GOING ON IN THE WORLD AS IMPORTANT AS THIS.
Reply to this comment
by sfcusarmy1 September 24, 2008 9:51 AM PDT
Slow news day CBS? Why dont you report on stuff we dont already know?! And really who cares anyway?
Reply to this comment
by clarkssuppor September 24, 2008 9:55 AM PDT
Who is Clay Aiken?
Reply to this comment
by stn_sage September 24, 2008 10:04 AM PDT
I never heard of this fellow!

Now, I have---and he''s gay! OK!
Reply to this comment
by dsr57 September 24, 2008 10:12 AM PDT
I''m wondering why he still makes news. I mean he was semi famous about 5 years ago right? Or is someone being G A Y just so big of a story that it has to make national news?
Reply to this comment
by navyjimfl September 24, 2008 10:13 AM PDT
OMG the Clay is Gay
Reply to this comment
by fsw3 September 24, 2008 10:30 AM PDT
I hope Clay knows that he is going to hell! Nothing pisses the Glorious Creator of the Universe more than people of the same gender who use their members to penetrate each other.
Reply to this comment
by plplearecrzy September 24, 2008 10:41 AM PDT
My God! Shocked! Now I bet you''''ll tell me that Nathan Lane is gay too. What? He is? And Michael Feinstein too! OMG what is the world coming to. Thank God we still have real str8 men out there like Richard Gere and Tom Cruise.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by wadyaknow at 09:18 AM : Sep 24, 2008

HA HA!
Reply to this comment
by talkingham September 24, 2008 10:45 AM PDT
Did he also confirm that he is republican gay?
Reply to this comment
by element51 September 24, 2008 10:48 AM PDT
I simply don''t care what a person''s s e x u a l preference is. It is not any of my business and I refuse to look down on someone because of that. If a person is kind, gentle, loving and decent then what difference does it make? I like Clay and I''m glad that he can finally be who he is. Keep singing Clay, you are an OK guy. Funny thing is, if you know how many g a y people you meet everyday it would cause you h o m o p h o b e s to hide in your bathroom and never leave your house. FYI, it''s not contageous.
Reply to this comment
by truthislife1 September 24, 2008 10:51 AM PDT
Wonderful. Someone else who thinks the family unit is not important. Don''t reply and say he thinks it is. What''s more important to him is his pleasure and not his health or others. These people feel they are exempt from the consequences of the lack of self control.
Reply to this comment
by upto1947 September 24, 2008 10:51 AM PDT
A rich gay man. Becuse all of you out there guy his guy S6666. He is having fun being guy and you are helping him. It seams to me he is not dumb one.
Reply to this comment
by nvorr September 24, 2008 10:53 AM PDT
Who didn''t know he was g*a*y? Why is this news?
Reply to this comment
by mandalay-bay September 24, 2008 10:58 AM PDT
WOW THAT IS THE SURPRISE OF THE CENTURY!!!!!!!

I NEVER WOULD HAVE GUESSED!!!!!!

Seriously, I could tell he was g.ay after looking at him for about 5 seconds 3-4 years ago...

I mean being a broadway actor automatically gives you g.ay points anyway lol
Reply to this comment
by kennergirl September 24, 2008 10:59 AM PDT
Well, duh! And now he has a son, wonderful.
Reply to this comment
by lauren0211 September 24, 2008 11:01 AM PDT
WHO CARES!!!!!!!!!!
Reply to this comment
See all 141 Comments
  • MOST POPULAR
  • Viewed
  • Commented
Latest News
Featured Blogs