How the late Gavin Creel inspired ex-boyfriend Jonathan Groff to come out as gay publicly

The late Gavin Creel inspired his former partner, Doctor Who star Jonathan Groff, to come out publicly as gay.

American Horror Stories star Creel died on Monday (30 September) from a rare, aggressive form of cancer, at the age of 48. His death was met with an outpouring of grief from the world of musical theatre. Now, former lover Groff has recalled how the Broadway favourite inspired him to come out. 

Groff, who begun Pride month this year by saying that he was “single and full of PrEP”, was romantically linked to Tony-Award-winner Creel in 2009. 

Speaking to Interview magazine’s Jake Nevins earlier this year, Groff said: “I was in a closeted relationship with a guy for three-and-a half-years. He was my roommate. 

“I came out and I broke up with him and moved into my own apartment and it was like starting over again. I came out to my brother first. Actually, I was in Italy by myself for a week, then my brother was coming to join me. But first, I was in Florence by myself and I went to see Michelangelo’s David and I started hysterically crying.

“I came out to my brother, then my parents, then my friends. But it wasn’t until a year-and-a-half later, in the fall [autumn] of 2009, I was in love and dating Gavin Creel and he had organised these buses of artists from New York to go to Washington DC for the Marriage Equality march. A woman from broadway.com was there interviewing people and she said: ‘Who do you represent at this march?’”

Nevins asked: “By which she meant, are you gay?” Groff responded: “Basically.”

The Looking and Hamilton star went on to say: “I froze. I hadn’t even thought about coming out as a public person. She was like: ‘Oh, never mind, I’m so sorry’.

“Then she moved along, and I remember looking over and seeing Gavin. He had come out a year or two before, and seeing him with a bullhorn corralling the people, I was so in love with him. 

“I was like: ‘I am coming out. I’m coming out. I’m coming out’. So, I went back over to her and I was like, ‘Hi, please excuse my hesitation: I’m gay.’ And that was how I came out publicly.

“I don’t know if I’ve ever told that story [before].”

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