Beartooth frontman Caleb Shomo publicly came out as gay in a personal statement shared on Instagram. His wife Fleur Shomo separately responded to the news and confirmed the end of their nearly 14-year marriage.
Shomo addressed the speculation surrounding his personal life and spoke candidly about his journey toward self-acceptance.
“There’s been a lot of speculation surrounding my personal life as of late and I feel compelled to set the record straight before it affects those I love any further,” Shomo said. “I am a proudly gay man.”
“This is something I’ve been unpacking and reckoning with in my life for quite some time now. It’s been difficult to navigate the feelings surrounding the subject and figure out what to do with this fact.”
Shomo also connected his coming out to his artistic evolution and his ongoing battle with alcohol, explaining how sobriety led him to confront his sexuality.
“When it comes to my art / Beartooth, I have always strived to chase who I am in the deepest part of my soul from album to album,” he continued. “As you could gather if you’ve followed the band at all in the earlier years, there are 4 very self deprecating albums about exploring my religious upbringing, depression, self hatred, self loathing, and hopelessness. I am grateful for all these albums, yet feel embarrassed at times that I wouldn’t allow myself to really dig up the roots for so long.”
“I spent a decade burying feelings with alcohol, and honestly when I decided to put it down and focus on exploring why I felt this way for so long, it’s been a direct path to me reconciling with my sexuality in hopes that it will eventually lead to me experiencing self love. One thing I decided before I wrote a single note of the upcoming album is that whatever happens, I will express myself whole heartedly and fully.”
“Wherever it takes me I will follow and I refuse to water any part of it down, from the music, to the lyrical content, and way I portray myself. I will only do what makes me happy at the deepest level and what is the most honest depiction of who I am. I believe it’s impossible to love every part of you when you won’t face every part of you head on. I am trying to finally be proud of who I am and I think this is a massive part of that journey.”
His wife, Fleur Shomo, also issued a public statement, acknowledging the difficulty of the situation while expressing continued love and support for her husband.
“Not really sure how to start this cause does anything even need to be said? But I guess I’ll just dive right in,” Fleur said. “The past few months have been a very disorientating and hurtful time to navigate. For both of us. But I will always want to love, protect and support Caleb. I have cared more about his well being over the years than anything else in the world.”
“I am the only person that is having to deal with the duality of this situation,” she added. “To support him whilst losing everything has been incredibly hard to figure out. You can love and support your person through the hardest time in their life, whilst also be completely demolished & lose yourself at the same time.”
“Our nearly 14 years of marriage was wonderful and full of so much fun, adventure & love. Nobody will know anything about our marriage like we do. And no one can ever truly know what depths of love exist between two people unless they are those people. I already miss it & my husband more than anything. Our story was a good one. And now it’s done.”
The announcement arrives at a significant moment in Shomo’s career, as Beartooth is in the midst of a new album cycle that has already been generating considerable attention. In hindsight, it appears to have been quietly foreshadowing this revelation.
Loudwire reported that Beartooth had recently released a new song titled “Free,” from the band’s upcoming album Pure Ecstasy. The track drew attention for its poppy sound and striking visuals, including makeup and bold outfits. Many fans interpreted the shift in presentation as a new artistic direction, though the coming out announcement added a deeper layer of meaning to the rollout. The full album is set to arrive on August 28 via Fearless Records. A U.S. tour is planned in support, featuring Windwaker, Don Broco, and Magnolia Park.
Shomo is no stranger to the rock world. The PRP noted that he originally rose to prominence as the former vocalist of Attack Attack! before founding Beartooth. The band has built a devoted following through a blend of metalcore, hard rock, and melodic mainstream rock. Over the years, Beartooth has become particularly known for its emotionally direct lyrics and high-energy live performances — a hallmark that Shomo’s latest personal revelations suggest will only deepen on the new record.
The online reaction to Shomo’s announcement has been a mix of widespread support and, in some corners, ugly homophobic commentary. Loudwire reported that Attila frontman Chris Fronzak made a homophobic joke on X in response to the news. He later issued an apology. The incident underscored the broader cultural tensions that still surround LGBTQ+ visibility in the rock and metal community.
Shomo’s coming out is being widely recognized as a landmark moment in rock music, with a major frontman publicly embracing his identity while simultaneously channeling it into new creative work. The upcoming album Pure Ecstasy is expected to reflect his journey toward full self-expression — one that, as Shomo himself put it, he refuses to water down in any way.
