Urie ‘i’m Not Gay Or Straight’

UGLY BETTY star MICHAEL URIE has opened up about his sexuality, insisting he’s never felt comfortable labelling himself “gay” because he’s enjoyed relationships with women in the past.

The actor, who plays fashion assistant Marc on the hit sitcom, is currently in a long-term relationship with a man but he refuses to categorise his sexual orientation.

He tells The Advocate magazine, “I’ve never said I was straight, and I’m not saying I’m gay now. I never lie, and I’ve never shied away from the topic… I am not a hypocrite - certainly not now.

“I’ve been in a relationship for a while now, and if you just met the two of us together we’d be ‘gay’. But that somehow means anything that happened before (we met) didn’t count - and I don’t feel that way.

“I know that some people feel that way. They were with women, but it always felt wrong. But it didn’t for me. It felt right at the time. It didn’t work out, but it also didn’t work out with other men - many times. That’s why ‘gay’ never seemed right.”

Urie admits he has been guarded about his personal life in the past over fears ‘coming out’ could hurt his career, adding: “Certainly there was a point where I was like, ‘I don’t know how long Ugly Betty is going to last and how well it’s going to do, and I might want some real anonymity if it ends quickly.’ I was also never one to seek out publicity or attention, and I basically didn’t want to be labelled…

“But things are different now. I’m much more comfortable, and I’m not as worried about a future for myself.”