Neil Patrick Harris has apparently looked back at his childhood WWE fandom and realized he may have been leaving himself a few clues.
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During an interview with Sam Roberts for SiriusXM, Harris was asked about his relationship with professional wrestling. The actor admitted that he secretly enjoyed WWE when he was younger and now sees that enthusiasm as an early hint about his sexuality.
“I secretly liked the WWE when I was younger, because it was kind of a tell for knowing I was gonna be gay.” He continued, “It was just, like, tight shorts; they’re oiled up. Grappling. So it’s like, I’m not supposed to be liking this as much as I am.”
Well. That is certainly one way to look back at childhood hobbies.
WWE Was Apparently Part of the Gay Awakening
Harris made the comments during his September 15 appearance on The Sam Roberts Show, where the conversation also touched on his career and his comedy film Sunny Dancer, which was released in the U.S. on September 18. But naturally, it was the WWE confession that caught our attention.
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I love this – wrestling really does serve a purpose for everyone.
For the full convo with Neil Patrick Harris on escape rooms, the HIMYM ending, and more head to Youtube and the Sirius app! pic.twitter.com/YGtXP3Kzvo— Sam Roberts’ Show (@SamRobertsSXM) September 21, 2026
Because Harris wasn’t describing an appreciation for complicated storylines, legendary entrances or the technical side of wrestling. His memories were considerably more visual.
Tight shorts. Oiled-up bodies. Grappling. Honestly, the gay panic practically writes itself.
And Harris clearly understood the joke. He wasn’t saying that liking wrestling makes someone gay. He was looking back at his own childhood and recognizing that, for him, the appeal of watching muscular men wrestle around in very little clothing felt like a clue he hadn’t quite figured out yet.
It is very easy to imagine a younger Harris sitting there thinking, Wow, I really enjoy WWE. Anyway, moving on.
The Wrestling Closet Had Plenty of Company
Professional wrestling has always had a particularly interesting relationship with masculinity. The presentation is built around enormous physiques, theatrical displays of toughness, physical contact and performers being thrown dramatically into one another’s arms.
More well tasty pro wrestling action featuring studs Jordan Cruz and Fred Rosser.#prowrestling #gay #muscle #trunks #bulge #bulgemen #suffering #hot #wrestlers #prowrestlers #wrestling #studs pic.twitter.com/6lEEB0poiQ
— Wresadam (@wresadam) September 13, 2026
For plenty of fans, that’s simply the appeal of wrestling. For others, perhaps there was an additional layer they weren’t quite ready to articulate yet.
And Harris isn’t the only openly LGBTQ person to find a place in professional wrestling. The industry has produced a growing list of openly LGBTQ performers, from WWE stars to independent wrestlers.
A Few Out Wrestlers to Know
If Harris’s confession has you suddenly reconsidering your own wrestling history, here’s a small sampling of openly LGBTQ wrestlers worth knowing:
Aaron Rourke — The out gay wrestler made WWE history in March 2026 when he became the first out gay male wrestler to win a WWE singles championship, capturing the Evolve Men’s Championship. He later made his WWE television debut on NXT in June.
Fred Rosser — Rosser became the first openly gay male wrestler to hold a WWE championship when he won the WWE Tag Team Championship during his time with the company. He remains an important part of the history of LGBTQ representation in WWE.
Anthony Bowens — The openly gay AEW wrestler became the company’s first out LGBTQ male champion when he won the AEW World Tag Team Championship with Max Caster in 2022. Bowens has also spoken publicly about his sexuality and LGBTQ representation in wrestling.
So yes, Harris may have been onto something when he looked back at his younger self and recognized the signs.
Not because WWE is inherently gay. Plenty of straight people have spent decades screaming at their television screens while watching men in tiny wrestling gear suplex each other.
Aaron Rourke RETAINS the WWE Evolve Championship against Tristan Angels with a unique pin!pic.twitter.com/5IaRj7EjNz
— WrestleTalk (@WrestleTalk_TV) May 28, 2026
But if you were a closeted gay kid watching all that grappling and thinking, Why am I paying such close attention to this? — well, Neil Patrick Harris would like you to know that you weren’t necessarily alone.
And perhaps the real question isn’t whether WWE was a gay tell. It’s whether you, too, were watching for the plot.