Life

Actor Jermelle Simon comes out in emotional video: “I’ve decided to love myself unconditionally”

Out costar Wanda Sykes also sent her love.
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Hollywood, CA USA - March 4, 2023: Jermelle Simon attends the red carpet of the 9th Annual Truth Awards.
Hollywood, CA USA - March 4, 2023: Jermelle Simon attends the red carpet of the 9th Annual Truth Awards. Photo: Shutterstock

The Upshaws star Jermelle Simon came out as gay last week in an emotional video celebration National Coming Out Day.

Simon plays Bernard “Bennie” Upshaw Jr on the Netflix series, which chronicles the lives of a Black working-class family in Indiana. The character came out as gay on the show last year.

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“Happy National Coming Out day to everyone,” Simon opened his video. “To the ones who feel like now is the time, to the ones who feel like maybe later, to the ones who may never come out.”

“And to myself,” he added. “I want to say to myself, Happy National Coming Out Day. I have decided to embrace myself fully, all the parts of me. I’ve decided to love myself unconditionally. I’ve decided that the one thing that I thought was the biggest curse in my life is actually the biggest blessing I could ever receive.”

“I have decided that I am enough, and I want to thank everyone who has helped me to get to that place where I feel seen, where i feel like I belong, where i feel loved… Thank you for providing a space where I can come on the internet and say, I am a Black gay man.”

Simon captioned the post with a quote from gay writer James Baldwin: “You have to go the way your blood beats. If you don’t live the only life you have, you won’t live some other life, you won’t live any life at all.”

Out comedian Wanda Sykes, costars on the Upshaws and is one of its creators, commented, “Love you Jermelle! (PROUD AUNTIE).”

Another heartwarming comment from who appears to be Simon’s mother states, “I LOVE YOU JERMELLE SIMON‼️‼️‼️ I AM SO PROUD OF YOU YOUR MOMMA CAROL SIMON WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU NO MATTER WHAT!!!! I AM BESIDE YOU EVERY STEP OF THE WAY I GOT YOUR BACK FOREVER 100%‼️‼️ NOW MOVE FORWARD AND LIVE‼️‼️‼️‼️”

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