Beartooth frontman Caleb Shomo has detailed the significant backlash he experienced after publicly announcing he is gay and confirming his divorce. Shomo, 33, stated in a podcast appearance that he encountered considerable homophobia shortly after revealing his sexual orientation in May. He also went through a divorce from his wife of 14 years, Fleur Shomo (née Terry), with whom he jointly filed in Los Angeles Superior Court in July. The couple married in 2012 and share no children.
Shomo shared that he had resolved not to moderate his personal expression, intending to "do what I wanna do. I’m gonna wear what I wanna wear. I’m gonna sing how I wanna sing."
"I’m gonna look how I wanna look and just enjoy being an artist that’s allowed to do that, and that has the freedom to do that," he said. However, this approach was met with "a lot of opposition and a lot of… I mean, really, just a lot of homophobia, and a lot of people who really were not okay with me presenting that way at all, with what I was doing, any of it."
He initially addressed his sexuality on Instagram amid speculation about his personal life, declaring himself a "proudly gay man." Following this announcement, his ex-wife, Fleur, expressed support while acknowledging the difficulty of their split.
Shomo noted that the adverse reactions to his coming out were overwhelming, leading him to withdraw from the internet for a period. He described the experience as challenging, especially while touring with his band. "A lot of the day I’d be spent in a really, really bad place and just trying to find enough energy and enough will to get myself warmed up and get on that stage and do my f**king job," he recounted.
He also indicated that the prejudice has continued. "It didn’t really change as we kept releasing more songs, and the very vocal opposition continued and still continues to," Shomo stated, adding that his honesty about his identity has not alleviated the hostility.
Shomo is currently preparing for his next musical project, expressing that there is "a lot that I need to say" and "work through." He had previously described his journey to coming out in a lengthy Instagram message, acknowledging he had been "unpacking and reckoning with" aspects of his life for an extended period. He felt a need to "set the record straight" to protect loved ones.
He reflected on his past work with Beartooth, describing four previous albums as "very self-deprecating" and exploring themes of "religious upbringing, depression, self hatred, self loathing, and hopelessness." Shomo intends for his upcoming music to express himself "whole heartedly and fully."