Paulie Calafiore got candid about his sexual orientation after being eliminated from MTV’s “The Challenge: USA.”
“I am bisexual,” the former “Big Brother” contestant told GLAAD Friday.
“I almost felt guilty that it’s taken me this long,” he continued, recalling how he made the shift to decide to come out.
“I really had to change my perspective and be like, ‘Well, you know there might be other people that are going through this exact same thing… and maybe this is what they needed to hear and what they needed to see in order to do it themselves.'”
Calafiore added, “Maybe there’s a younger version of me somewhere who gets to see this and [says], ‘You know what? I don’t have to pretend to be this because I’m an athlete.'”
The reality star, who has been dating fellow “Challenge” alum Cara Maria Sorbello for five years, subtly spoke on his struggles with sexuality on the show before his elimination in episode three.
“I came through athletics, so that forced me to repress who I was, sexually,” Calafiore, 34, shared.
“I didn’t know if I was attracted to women, attracted to men, or if it was just like an energy thing. I’d be like, ‘I need to prove that I’m the most alpha human in the world.’”
In an Instagram post Friday, the athlete doubled down on his gratitude for his time on the MTV show and the support he garnered after coming out as bisexual.
“My heart is bleeding with gratitude. My soul is burning with humility,” he wrote alongside a screenshot of GLAAD’s article about the news.
“I’m so sad I had an early exit but I am so happy that I was able show you another layer to myself and my journey.
Concluding his heartfelt post, Calafiore wrote, “I finally feel seen and free ❤️.”
