Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic Sanjaya Malakar
Former American Idol finalist Sanjaya Malakar is opening up about his sexuality and viewers’ notion of him throughout his time on Season 6.
In a brand new interview on The Adam Sank Present podcast, Malakar shared life updates, mirrored on his expertise competing on American Idol and spoke concerning the strain surrounding his sexual identification.
The 32-year-old Seattle native performer auditioned for American Idol in 2006 alongside his sister Shyamali, who was eradicated throughout Hollywood Week — whereas Malakar superior to the season’s prime 40 contestants. Regardless of followers voting him into the highest 10, then-17-year-old Malakar’s vocal performances had been notably criticized as “completely horrendous” by choose Simon Cowell.
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Between his vocal talents, the tough critiques and distinctive ponytail-mohawk hybrid coiffure he sported on the present, Malakar turned the topic of jokes from many viewers and comedians on the time. Moreover, the contestant’s sexuality turned a subject of debate amongst viewers, a lot of whom assumed Malakar was homosexual and hiding his identification.
Chatting with host Adam Sank, Malakar set the report straight. “I establish as bisexual,” mentioned the previous musician, who now works as a pastry chef and bartender. “On the time [that I was on American Idol], I didn’t know, which was why it was so bizarre for me.”
He defined that rising up, he was “raised by girls” and took part in theater. “I had a tough time determining the right way to work together with younger boys as a result of my dad’s from India and grew up in a temple, so there was by no means like, ‘That is how you’re a boy,'” mentioned Malakar on the DNR Studios podcast. “After which, my mother is an A-type character, Italian-American lady, and [so are] her sisters and my sisters and all of that, so rising up I used to be already the awkward theater child.”
“I at all times obtained together with theater youngsters. I at all times obtained together with homosexual youngsters and women, so I used to be like, ‘OK, these are my individuals,'” he added. “However I do not know. Everybody retains telling me that I’m homosexual, and I am like, 7. I do not even have any attraction to anybody, so why are you telling me this?”
Steve Granitz/WireImage Sanjaya Malakar
Whereas competing on American Idol, Malakar mentioned he was in a critical relationship with a long-term girlfriend: “I used to be exploring my life as a toddler, after which American Idol occurred, and everybody was like, ‘Oh, he is homosexual.’ And I used to be like, ‘OK, properly now I’ve to say no, as a result of at this level they’re forcing me to decide and outline myself.'”
He recalled, “At the moment, that was a giant factor as properly, ‘trigger I grew up in a time when being referred to as a f—-t in class was the worst factor that might ever occur to you. You needed to be as hyper-masculine as potential to slot in, and arising in 2007, it was like, ‘Being homosexual is OK, however you need to outline your self, and there is this or that.'”
The crew surrounding Malakar throughout his American Idol stint did not assist the method of determining his sexuality. “All of my publicists had been like, ‘Oh, simply inform everybody you are single. Be ambiguous. Nobody must know something about something since you do not wish to lose your followers,'” he mentioned on the podcast. “And I am like, ‘OK, however why am I manipulating what I do know of myself to determine what sort of followers I will get as a result of I am nonetheless attempting to find who I’m?'”
Malakar feels comfy and assured in his sexuality at the moment, although he hasn’t come out to his mother and father. “For me, at this level I do not actually care about what individuals know of my sexuality, and if I obtained right into a critical long-term relationship with a man I’d carry him to my household, they usually’d be like, ‘Oh, cool.'”
“My household’s not the type of individuals I really want to come back out to formally,” he continued, noting that it might be tough to carry house a girl after expressing he additionally likes males. “A few my cousins are bi as properly and have introduced house homosexual companions after which come and married another person. It turns into a giant deal, and it isn’t.”
He continued, “Until it is one thing critical, it is probably not their enterprise. I am not attempting to f— any of them. I will come out to individuals if it is a state of affairs like this, but when I am not attempting to f— you, it would not matter. You will know if I do.”
On the subject of his present relationship standing, Malakar recalled telling Sank throughout their pre-interview that he was seeing somebody — however on the present, he rescinded the assertion.
“So, really, the day of our pre-interview I had simply pushed again the evening earlier than from my greatest pal’s marriage ceremony and reconnected with somebody I knew a very long time in the past that appeared attention-grabbing — after which flipped my automobile two and a half occasions,” mentioned Malakar, who wasn’t injured within the accident. “So I am unsure if that is an indication to decelerate. I do not know. Sure, I am single, nevertheless it’s sophisticated on a regular basis.”
Malakar additionally mentioned his extremely publicized time on American Idol hasn’t precisely helped his success within the bed room.
“It is a detriment as a result of I benefit from the thrill of a chase, and I do not like feeling like somebody’s f—ing me as a result of [of American Idol]. I am additionally a bartender, so I do not like f—ing somebody who desires to f— me as a result of I am a bartender,” he revealed. “I’ve a variety of vanity points, and I actually wish to ensure that somebody’s .”
