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LOS ANGELES, May 6 (UPI) -- Arrow star Colton Haynes confirmed he's gay in a new interview published Thursday. The 27-year-old actor officially came out while discussing his step away from the spotlight with Entertainment Weekly. Haynes departed Arrow in 2015 due to his anxiety and checked into rehab this year following speculation about his sexuality.
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"I should have made a comment or a statement, but I just wasn't ready," Haynes explained. "I didn't feel like I owed anyone anything. I think in due time, everyone has to make those decisions when they're ready, and I wasn't yet."
"People want you to be that GQ image that you put out, but people don't realize what it's like to act 24 hours a day," he shared. "People who are so judgmental about those who are gay or different don't realize that acting 24 hours a day is the most exhausting thing in the world."
Haynes, who has been out to his family and friends for years, appeared to come out in January after a fan expressed excitement about his "secret gay past." The actor responded by writing, "Was it a secret?" but wasn't ready to confirm until now.
"It took me so long to get to this point, but I'm doing so good," he told EW. "I'm happier than I've ever been, and healthier than I've ever been, and that's what I care about."
Haynes later addressed his coming out on Twitter, writing, "I believe in livin life to fullest & takin control of your life story." The actor portrayed Roy Harper, aka Arsenal, on Arrow, and is also known for playing Jackson Whittemore on Teen Wolf.
