Ricky Martin Opens Up To Oprah About Coming Out

In his first interview since coming out of the closet this past spring, Ricky Martin wanted to make one thing very clear: “I am not bisexual. I am a gay man.” The “Best Thing About Me Is You” singer made the proud declaration today on The Oprah Winfrey Show, and was met with applause from O’s audience. Watch Ricky discuss his children, more about his sexuality and the anger he felt after his infamous 2000 interview with Barbara Walters, where he says he felt the View host was “beating me up” to reveal his sexual preference at a time when he wasn’t comfortable doing so. “My kids gave me all the strength to come out,” Martin said on Oprah today. The singer fathered twin boys two years ago via a surrogate mother. “First of all I had to, because I couldn’t take it any more. But who gave me that final push was definitely my children.”

Ricky went on to explain that he didn’t want to set a bad example by living a lie in front of his sons. “I don’t want my family to be based on lies,” he said, getting emotional. “I wanna be transparent to them. I want them to be proud of their dad.”

Oprah then brought up Barbara Walters’ 2000 interview with the “She Bangs” crooner, where the veteran TV journalist told Martin he could put an end to the gay rumors that had been dogging him right there by stating whether he was gay or not.

“First of all, I have a lot of respect for Barbara. She’s an amazing journalist,” Ricky said diplomatically. “She was doing her job. I was feeling she was beating me up… She knocked me out.”

Finally Martin sums up the decade-old traumatizing interview by saying, “I just wasn’t ready, Oprah. It wasn’t my moment.”

Ricky’s upcoming bilingual album is due out in early 2011. His new single “The Best Thing About Me Is You,” which features Joss Stone, was made available on iTunes today.

[Via E! Online]