Arrow star Colton Haynes: ‘I was told I couldn’t be gay and be an actor’

The actor is sharing the shocking advice he was given when he started his career.

Colton Haynes has admitted that he hid his sexuality for years because he was told it would ruin his career. The 28-year-old said his management had told him that he couldn’t be gay and have a career in Hollywood.

“I was literally told from the day that I moved to Los Angeles that I could not be gay because I wouldn’t work,” Colton told Andy Cohen on SiriusXM.

A post shared by Colton Haynes (@coltonlhaynes) on Feb 26, 2017 at 1:03pm PST

“Then I was with my management team and a team of people that just literally told me I couldn’t be this way… It was horrible!”

The Arrow actor went on to say that he was forced into multiple fake relationships with women, including a brief time with Lauren Conrad, by his PR team in an effort to dispel any potential rumours.

“I literally couldn’t go to work because I would faint or I would start sweating and shaking,” Colton said of his emotional and mental state during that time. “I was so tired of not being myself. I had to go to anxiety rehab after the show. "And it was really life-changing when I came out.”

The actor came out publicly back in May 2016 and just one year later, he is now happily engaged to celebrity floral designer Jeff Leatham.