Irish folk singer Tommy Fleming has publicly come out as gay for the first time, admitting that he has been "living a lie".
The Sligo born singer confirmed this news in a recent interview where he opened up about the breakdown of his marriage and his past drug use. He spoke about a private conversation between himself, his wife Tina and their stepdaughter which went viral after being leaked online.
Speaking for the first time since separating from Tina in October last year, Fleming said: "For at least ten, 13 years of marriage we were very happy, but small cracks started to appear, mainly from me, and small cracks that were never mended, and with every crack that appeared there was a new crack and a new crack. And those cracks became a chasm".
On his decision to come out as gay, Fleming stated: '’I had been living a lie for all my life really, and the hardest part of that was the energy and the effort it took for this lie to be constantly covered and to be, I suppose, protected and that lie was that I am gay".
"I am finally living my truth. I am finally being honest, being able to live a life that is true and real and just . . . honest".
In a message to Tina, Fleming added: "I can’t undo the wrongs I've done, I can’t... and I can’t change the past. I can only look ahead and in order for me to survive, in order for me to have a life, I had to tell the truth and own this really".
Elsewhere, Fleming went on to explain that the recent turmoil regarding his personal life has had effects on his mental health.
"The best way to explain this one - if the last two weeks were to have happened six or seven months ago, I don’t think I would have survived it", he said. "It happened now. I cannot control what people will do or what they’ll say or how they’ll react or what they think, I cannot and I'm not going to try".
Fleming revealed that he attempted suicide last September having suffered with "an overwhelming sense of absolute sadness and hopelessness". This led to the singer being treated at St Patrick's Mental Health Services.
Recently, private phone conversation between Fleming, Tina and their stepdaughter was leaked online and was the subject of much speculation. Fleming claimed this phone call took place while he was being treated at St Patrick's and was unaware that it had been recorded.
"It was recorded without my knowledge, and it was leaked without my knowledge," he said. "My hand was forced on that one".
"It took away me being able to stand in front of my siblings. What it took away was my right to be able to stand in front of them", the singer added. "It also took away my privacy in my suicide attempt in September. That was never meant for the public".
Such speculation included that Fleming had allegedly visited gay saunas, used pornography and was at risk of sexually transmitted diseases.
When asked if he had put his former spouse at risk for an STD, as alleged in the leaked voice not conversation, Fleming replied: "100% not".
Fleming did admit that he did abuse alcohol and drugs, saying: "I medicated with them. They were a painkiller to help me sleep, and it was across a broad spectrum of prescription medication, illegal substances, alcohol, all of the above that I dabbled with. I’m not looking to numb something anymore".
In conclusion, Tommy Fleming said that he is solely focused on his mental health, family and close friends: "That’s what's important to me right now".
"Oh yeah, I’m absolutely going to perform, it's the one place I can stand for two and a half hours, and I don’t have to think about anything else," he said ahead of his upcoming tour. "That’s the best therapy I’ve ever had".
