Arrow and Teen Wolf star Colton Haynes came out as a gay in a new interview with Entertainment Weekly. The actor also spoke in depth about his battles with anxiety. “It took me so long to get to this point, but I’m doing so good,” he said. “I’m happier than I’ve ever been, and healthier than I’ve ever been, and that’s what I care about.”
Though Haynes has alluded to his sexuality before, in an eyebrow-raising Tumblr post, he explained that at that point he "wasn’t ready" to comment further. At the time, Haynes' anxiety led him to check into rehab and make multiple hospital visits, as EW reports.
"People want you to be that GQ image that you put out, but people don’t realise what it’s like to act 24 hours a day. I’d go home and I was still acting," Haynes told EW. "People who are so judgmental about those who are gay or different don’t realise that acting 24 hours a day is the most exhausting thing in the world."
Haynes' health struggles also led to his decision to leave Arrow and Teen Wolf. "I’ve had terminal anxiety my entire life," he said. "Physically ill, fainting. I’m 27 years old, and I have an ulcer. I had to step back."
This isn't the first time Haynes has publicly discussed anxiety. In December he issued a series of tweets on the subject. "Be there for those who struggle with anxiety & realise its a serious disorder. Its not a case of 'being dramatic'...its a life long struggle," he wrote.