A WWE wrestler became the first person in his sport to announce that he is gay in what appears to be an impromptu interview with the gossip site TMZ.com.
Darren Young, whose real name is Frederick Douglas Rosser, was asked by a TMZ photographer if he thought a gay wrestler would ever perform in the WWE.
"Absolutely. Look at me," he said. "I'm a WWE superstar and to be honest with you, I'll tell you right now, I'm gay. And I'm happy. I'm very happy."
Young said he understood people would have mixed reactions to the news, but said he was "happy with himself."
As for how it would affect his work, he said it shouldn't.
"We're all adults," he said. "All sports are physical. When I come to work, I come to work. This is a business. I'm a WWE superstar. I'm there to entertain. That's what my job is and I do it well."
Hours after the video was posted, fellow WWE wrestler John Cena expressed his support to Young. "Oh wonderful," Cena told TMZ.com. "I know Darren personally. Darren's a great guy. That's a very bold move for him. And congratulations for him for actually finally doing it."
The WWE's executive vice president of creative (and daughter of Vince McMahon), Stephanie McMahon, had this to say about the announcement:
Congratulations to @DarrenYoungWWE for being the first openly gay WWE Superstar!
— Stephanie McMahon (@StephMcMahon) August 15, 2013
And in an official statement, a spokesman for the WWE had this to say: "WWE is proud of Darren Young for being open about his sexuality, and we will continue to support him as a WWE Superstar. Today, in fact, Darren will be participating in one of our Be A Star anti-bullying rallies in Los Angeles to teach children how to create positive environments for everyone regardless of age, race, religion or sexual orientation."
