Reality TV star Nick Amato has broken his silence regarding his sexuality for the first time.
Back in October, the luxury watch dealer was first introduced to pop culture enthusiasts when he appeared as one of the hopeful singles in Netflix’s ninth season of Love is Blind.
Following the blind pod dates segment, Nick ended up getting engaged to Annie Lancaster, a hair salon owner. However, their relationship was far from smooth, with the pair constantly getting into conflicts, leading them to break up the night before their dress and tuxedo fittings.
Throughout the season, Nick became a polarising figure within the Love is Blind fandom, with some viewers on social media speculating whether he was part of the LGBTQIA+ community.
It all started after he described himself as a “size queen” while discussing cars.
“Size queen” is a popular term within the LGBTQIA+ community used as a way to describe a gay man who has a preference for well-endowed individuals.
Speculation rose to new heights when his ex-fiancée Annie was interviewed by social media star Gilet Slay’s.
When asked about her thoughts on the online theories, she described them as “so unfair.”
“They don’t know him; they don’t know anything about him. Whether it’s his mannerisms or sometimes his comments. Everyone was after him for being a ‘size queen’ and, okay, it was a joke,” she said.
She also described Nick as “very metro”, adding that she doesn’t think he’s gay or bisexual.
“He’s very clean, he’s very organised, he’s been raised by his mother, who is also a hairdresser. I think if you spend a lot of time with your mom, you definitely end up picking some of those traits,” she explained.
Following weeks of silence, Nick has now shared his side of the story, publicly addressing the sexuality speculation.
In a recent sit-down with The Tab, the New York native touched on his “size queen” comment, stating: “Regarding the scene in the garage, I’m confident enough in my own sexuality to make jokes like the ‘size queen’ line.
“Watching it back, I still think it’s funny and wouldn’t change a thing – that’s my favourite scene in the entire show. You can hear me chuckle right before saying it because I knew it would make it on camera. That’s my sense of humour. I love to make people laugh.”
Elsewhere in his sit-down, Nick confirmed that he identifies as a “straight male” and addressed his controversial comments in episode four regarding LGBTQIA+ youth.
For context, during the 28-year-old’s pod blind date with Annie, he asked how she would feel about having children who identify as LGBTQIA+.
In response, Annie said, “No matter what, I’m always going to love my kids. But I can’t tell you I would be the first person to be like, ‘Yay! You know what I mean?”
Nick seemingly went on to insinuate that children identifying as queer was a “fad”, adding: “When kids start having thoughts too young, and maybe I am old-fashioned, but it’s like a concern for me because who’s telling you that?”
Following the episode’s release, Nick and Annie were slammed by viewers over their conversation, prompting the former to issue an apology video on Instagram.
While reflecting on his actions with The Tab, he admitted to “fully understanding the backlash.” Nick also revealed that he requested to address his comments and further elaborate on his apology during the reunion, but the question never came up.
“I think using sexuality as an insult, i.e., ‘get out of the closet,’ says more about the person making the comment,” he continued.
“It’s just a hateful way to tear someone down, and weaponises the very thing that I’m trying to be more cognisant of. On the other hand, I appreciated comments that were critical but open-ended, encouraging compassion and discourse.”
You can read Nick’s full interview here.
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