Caleb Shomo says he faced waves of homophobia after publicly coming out and separating from his wife of 14 years.
The Beartooth frontman, 33, opened up about the backlash on Friday’s episode of “The Breakdown with Nath & Johnny,” revealing that his decision to live authentically drew intense criticism from online detractors. He had first come out to friends and family in September 2025, then shared the news with fans through an Instagram post in May 2026 declaring himself “a proudly gay man.”
“I had already decided, like, I’m not gonna water myself down at all,” he shared on the podcast. “I’m going to just do what I wanna do. I’m gonna wear what I wanna wear. I’m gonna sing how I wanna sing.”
“I’m gonna look how I wanna look and just enjoy being an artist that’s allowed to do that, and that has the freedom to do that,” the songwriter continued. “And that was met with a lot of opposition and a lot of … I mean, really, just a lot of homophobia, and a lot of people who really were not okay with me presenting that way at all, with what I was doing, any of it.”
The “I Was Alive” singer explained that the negativity hit during an already difficult period in his life. He eventually stepped back from the internet to protect his mental health while maintaining his professional obligations.
“I mean, a lot of the day I’d be spent in a really, really bad place and just trying to find enough energy and enough will to get myself warmed up and get on that stage and do my f–king job,” he admitted. “And it didn’t really change as we kept releasing more songs, and the very vocal opposition continued and still continues to.”
Caleb added that his honesty about his identity only amplified the hostility. “And, yeah, me coming out didn’t help that. And just being honest with people about who I am and what’s been going on.”
The musician’s May Instagram announcement received public support from his Beartooth bandmates and from Fleur, who vowed to “love and support him.” That same month, the couple jointly filed for divorce after 14 years of marriage.
Despite the sustained criticism, Caleb is channeling his experiences into new material. He teased his forthcoming record on the podcast, noting he has “a lot that [he] needs to say,” process, and “work through.”
“So I’m just trying to think, baby steps,” he stated.
The Ohio-based rocker formed Beartooth in 2012 after leaving his previous band, Attack Attack!, and has built a dedicated following in the metalcore and hard rock scenes with four studio albums.