Jason Mraz explains why he came out late in life

July 3, 2024

Jason Mraz has spoken about why he was hesitant to come out as a teenager.

The two-time Grammy winner, best known for his 2008 hit “I’m Yours,” spoke on an episode of Jesse Tyler Ferguson’s “The 40 Years of Sex” about hiding his sexuality for fear of being judged by people in his hometown. Dinner is on me Podcasts.

The 47-year-old, who grew up in Mechanicsville, Virginia, said he grew up on a “conservative street” and found it difficult to break out of that culture.

“I was very shy and afraid of what my family would say or what my hometown would think or whatever,” he explained.

“In the ’90s, being gay was the punchline of a joke. And I didn’t want to be the punchline of a joke.”

The singer said he decided to keep a low profile until he figured out “how I could one day go out and see the world instead.”

Although Mraz said he was afraid of the judgment of those around him, he added that he “didn’t want to put anyone under the bus because my parents are very supportive. I love them very much.”

Mraz said he did not want to risk being the “punchline of the joke” (Getty Images for The Shot A)

In an interview with BillboardMraz revealed that he has had sexual experiences with men in the past, including during his relationship with Christina Carano, whom he married in 2015 and divorced in 2023. He has since stated that he is bisexual.

Elsewhere in the podcast, Mraz Ferguson also said that although he is a “late bloomer,” it feels to him “like my life is just beginning.”

“Yes, yes. I have little experience, while other people my age may have more experience, that’s all,” he explained.

He described his past relationships as “amazing,” but admitted: “I can’t say I’ve found love yet.”

“I love where I am and I finally feel enough love for myself that it can only enrich my next relationship,” he added, “if I find one.”

The musician, who is currently touring the US with his dance album 2023, Mystical-rhythmic, radical ride.

Looking back at his old music catalogue, he said: The lawyer in August 2023 that he came out as heterosexual through his music.

“I admit that I probably spent the first nearly 20 years of my career being straight on the air. I said ‘girls’ in my songs, and that’s largely because I grew up in a conservative society,” he said.

“And I grew up in an environment where there was homophobia and I felt like I had to keep some secret.”

He said working on his art brought him “closer” to himself.

Mraz added, “I had this curiosity and these experiences along the way that started to influence who I am and what kind of fun I wanted to have in the world and what kind of person I wanted to be in the world that is more honest, more loving and more inclusive.”