Jason Mraz Says He Came Out Later in Life Because Being Gay Was the “Punchline of a Joke” in the ’90s

Jason Mraz is getting candid about why he didn’t feel comfortable sharing his sexuality publicly when he was younger due to societal pressures.

During a recent appearance on the Dinner’s on Me podcast with Jesse Tyler Ferguson, the “I’m Yours” singer, 48, explained why he chose to come out later in life.

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“In the ’90s, being gay was like [the] punchline of a joke, and I didn’t want to be the punchline of a joke,” Mraz said. As a teenager, he ultimately decided to keep “my nose down” and figure out “ways I could instead get out and see the world one day.”

The “I Won’t Give Up” artist also noted how being raised in Virginia impacted his journey with his sexuality amid fears of judgment.

“I still took with me the conservative street that I grew up on, and that was very hard to ignore or to break out of,” Mraz explained. “I was very shy and and scared of what my family would say, or what my hometown would think or just whatever.”

However, he doesn’t “want to throw anybody under the bus because my parents are very supportive. I love them very much.”

Mraz opened up about his sexuality in a 2018 interview with Billboard, revealing that he previously had sexual experiences with men, even while dating Christina Carano, whom he married in 2015 before divorcing in 2023. Since publicly identifying himself as a member of the LGBTQ community, “The Remedy (I Won’t Worry)” singer has continued to be open about his journey to self-discovery.

Elsewhere in the podcast, Mraz also told Ferguson that while he was a “late bloomer,” he feels “like my life is just starting.”

“I love where I am and I feel so much love for myself finally that can only enhance the next relationship,” he said, “when I find one.”

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