Disney Channel Star Comes out as Bisexual

Karan Brar, who starred in the Disney Channel series Jessie when he was 10 years old, recently wrote a vulnerable personal essay for Teen Vogue revealing his coming out story and how the journey of coming to terms impacted his mental health. The 24-year-old Diary of a Wimpy Kid star is Indian-American. Within his culture are complex views on homosexuality and bisexuality. Brar identifies as the latter. He also dished on moving out of his parents’ place – something that was difficult for him as an Indian-American – and how that ultimately led to him revealing his true self to his friends.

In 2019, he moved in with his fellow Disney actors Cameron Boyce and Sophie Reynolds. In doing so, he was able to stop living a double life, which he describes as the “public Karan and private Karan.” He remembers coming out while drunk, and his fears that the way his peers received him would change. “The moment the words left my mouth, I regretted it. I could barely see straight, but I ended up trying to do some damage control anyway,” he wrote. 

He even offered to move out of the home, but says his friends embraced him and “interrupted me by hugging me from behind. Again, I told them I should move out. They told me I was being stupid. I told them I’d cover for them if people asked why we didn’t live together anymore. They said to shut the fuck up. I told them that they probably hated me. They said my bisexuality changed nothing for them.”

He’s been making great career strides as well as his personal successes. Brar’s first starring role was as Indian middle schooler Chirag Gupta in Diary of a Wimpy Kid and the next two installments of the franchise, Rodrick Rules and Dog Days.

He’s also done some recent voice work, including playing Prince Veer in the Disney Junior cartoon Mira, Royal Detective, and voicing Sanjay “Jay” Tawde, a new version of Jason Todd, in the DC Elseworlds animated movie Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham.