Published 3 months ago
There are endless stories floating around about people choosing to stay closeted for much of their lives, not out of preference, but fear. Fear they won’t be accepted by family, friends, or society. Fear that coming out could impact their opportunities or success. We hear these stories often, and now, another familiar name has joined the conversation, “Good Morning America” weekend host Gio Benitez.
In the Oct. 28, 2025, episode of his husband Tommy DiDario’s podcast, “I’ve Never Said This Before,” Benitez revealed that he remained closeted until he was 24, essentially more than half his life. He shared his reasons for doing so, along with what he’d tell his younger self now that he’s living openly. Here’s what he said.
Why Did ‘Gma’s Gio Benitez Stay Closeted Until He Was 24?
While appearing as a guest on his husband’s podcast, “I’ve Never Said This Before,” Benitez opened up about one of the toughest challenges he faced growing up, keeping his sexual identity a secret. In response to his husband’s question about what he’d tell his younger self, Benitez admitted, “For me, it was growing up gay and keeping that a secret. It was something I didn’t talk to anyone about until I was 24 years old.”
He explained it was the fear that held him back, saying, “You worry, ‘Will that hold me back?’” before answering his own question, “At the time, the message from society kind of was: ‘Yeah, it would.’” It seems Gio was more concerned about how coming out might affect his career goals, adding, “There was nobody I thought was like me at the time on television, so I didn’t have an example to point to.”
Not having anyone to look up to who shared his experience seemed to have made things even harder as he was stuck between who he knew he was inside and what society expected him to be. With so few public figures living openly at the time, it’s understandable why Benitez felt safer keeping the door closed until he was ready to live as his authentic self.
As for what advice he’d give his younger self, he said, “It’s all going to be OK.” He went on to explain, “You sit there worrying about the future and how this is going to happen… and it’s all going to be OK.” It’s a realization a lot of people who’ve faced similar circumstances come to — the road might be rough at times, but it really does turn out OK.
After Coming out, Gio Benitez Built an Impressive Career as an ABC reporter and ‘GMA’ anchor.
Benitez worried how coming out might affect his ability to excel in journalism, everything clearly turned out OK. He not only broke boundaries, becoming the first reporter to shoot a TV story entirely on an iPhone in 2009, per ABC News, but also showed just how driven he was to make his mark. In 2010, he traveled to Haiti to cover relief efforts following a devastating earthquake. By 2013, his hard work was paying off as he landed a gig as a reporter for ABC News and later took on the role of transportation correspondent in 2020. Now, he is a familiar face on “GMA,” serving as a weekend anchor.
So, as it turns out, things worked out pretty well for Gio, but do you think he should’ve kept his sexuality hidden for that long? Share your thoughts below.
