Beartooth singer Caleb Shomo recently opened up about the backlash he has faced since coming out as gay and splitting from his wife, Fleur Shomo, in a conversation shared on The Break Down with Nath & Johnny.
The discussion centered on the opposition Shomo says he has encountered for embracing his identity as an artist, and the toll it has taken on him personally and professionally.
“I’m going to just 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,” Caleb Shomo said.
“And that 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. I mean, 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.”
Shomo continued, reflecting on how the situation evolved over time as he continued releasing music and being open about his personal life.
“And it didn’t really change as we kept releasing more songs, and the very vocal opposition continued and still continues to. And, yeah, me coming out didn’t help that. And just being honest with people about who I am and what’s been going on. I have a lot that [he] needs to say and work through. So I’m just trying to think, baby steps,” he said.
Shomo’s journey into the public eye has unfolded over several months, marked by both personal disclosures and public reckoning with the fallout of his announcement.
Shomo first came out to friends and family in September 2025, taking time privately before addressing his sexuality publicly. He waited until May 23, 2026, to share the news with the world. He posted on Instagram that he was “a proudly gay man” and explained that he felt compelled to set the record straight before speculation affected the people he loves. The announcement came after nearly 14 years of marriage to Fleur Shomo, marking a significant turning point in both his personal life and public identity.
In the weeks following his announcement, Shomo continued to speak candidly about the emotional weight of the experience. In a June 2026 appearance on the “Disrespectfully” podcast, he described the difficulty of telling his wife about his sexuality, calling it one of the hardest conversations he has had to navigate.
Fleur Shomo has responded to the situation with her own public statement, expressing support for her estranged husband despite the pain of the separation. She described the period as “disorienting and hurtful.” She affirmed that she still wanted to “love, protect and support Caleb,” a sentiment that has resonated with fans following the couple’s very public split.
The homophobia Shomo describes facing since his announcement appears to be an ongoing struggle rather than a fleeting reaction. The vocal opposition he mentioned has persisted as he continues to tour and release music with Beartooth. This underscores the challenges he faces in balancing his artistic freedom with backlash from parts of his audience.
Shomo’s comments come as he continues to navigate his personal journey publicly, with more updates possibly to follow.
