Jesse to Oprah: I Came Out to My Father 3 Times

Published
OWN

In a special Oprah's Next Chapter airing this Sunday, Oprah delves into the subject of gay Hollywood and gets Modern Family star Jesse Tyler Ferguson to open up about his own experience coming out to his family.

"He would conveniently forget," Jesse reveals to Oprah about having to divulge his sexuality to his father multiple times. "The last time was, he asked me if I had a girlfriend, and I was like, 'Dad, I'm gay.'"

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Jesse -- who portrays the gay Modern Family character Mitchell and in real life married his husband Justin Mikita last July -- added that he later understood that his father also had to face his own kind of "coming out" experience. "It was a process for him as well, it was sort of a coming out process and he had to figure out how to deal with having a son that wasn't the ideal son that he had."

The new episode of Oprah's Next Chapter -- airing Sunday at 9/8c on OWN -- also includes conversations with actress/comedienne Wanda Sykes and Emmy Award winning Scandal actor Dan Bucatinsky, who both describe their coming out experiences and discuss how being gay in Hollywood has affected their careers.

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Immediately after the conclusion of Sunday's Oprah's Next Chapter, OWN will be premiering the critically acclaimed documentary Bridegroom, which recounts the emotional journey of Shane Bitney Crone and Tom Bridegroom, two men who enjoyed a loving and committed relationship that was tragically cut short due to Tom's accidental death. The film showcases the difficulties faced by people in relationships without the legal protections of marriage who can find themselves completely shut out and ostracized by their partner's families.

First Look: Why Jesse Tyler Ferguson Had to Come Out to His Dad 3 Times