BEARTOOTH's CALEB SHOMO Says His Parents Were 'Incredibly Loving' After He Came Out As 'A Proudly Gay Man'

In a new interview with the Lipps Service With Scott Lipps podcast, BEARTOOTH frontman Caleb Shomo spoke about finding the inner strength to publicly come out in May 2026 as a "proudly gay man" after "a decade burying feelings with alcohol." Asked if it was easier to come out to his parents or to the music community in general, Caleb said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Oh, all of it was fucking terrifying, honestly. I mean, to my parents specifically, I remember when I had come out to some really close friends, and I had told the band, and I told my brother. And I had decided early on that I was just never gonna tell my parents. I was, like, 'I just don't know if...I have no clue. We have never really gotten into this subject, and I just don't know where they sit with it. And I love them so much, I don't want them to love me any less.' And I don't know. It was just so much. But I'm very glad I did [come out to them]. And I will say, to my parents' credit, they've grown so much in their own lives and formed so many educated opinions for themselves on their own upbringings, their religious upbringings, their view on the world, their view on life, their view on all these things. So they were in a place, or they are in a place where I think they could understand it, and if not understand it, at least be willing to understand it and trying to learn what's going on with me, which is really great."

Regarding how he went about coming out to his parents, Caleb said: "I called them and was just kind of, like, 'Uh, hey.' I think I FaceTimed them one day, and it was just, like, 'This is what's going on with me.' I mean, it's very hard to explain unless you've been through it, but it's just so emotional. And I was just bawling my eyes out. [But] they were incredibly loving. And we've had a lot of very great, honest conversations since, and they were just amazing and are very much in my corner. And I'm so proud of them for how much they've grown in their lives. I know they're proud of me for where I'm at now, which is wild and feels amazing."

Referencing the mixed reaction from BEARTOOTH fans that he received after coming out as gay in an Instagram post on May 23, three months before the release of the band's new album, "Pure Ecstasy", Caleb said: "Truth be told, nobody close to me has met me with opposition. Everybody close to me has been very supportive. It's been the music scene, a subsect of the music scene that has been very unwelcoming."

After podcast host Scott Lipps noted that the hard rock community has never been "super embracing of people's sexuality", Caleb said: "No, not necessarily. I think there's always been an odd relationship there. And the Internet's just wild. I mean, obviously all this stuff with that started when our song 'Free' came out, which was the first single we put out that's [on 'Pure Ecstasy']."

Shortly after Caleb's original Instagram post, Fleur Shomo, his wife of 14 years, also wrote a statement on social media following her husband's coming out and encouraged BEARTOOTH fans to "continue to support Caleb."

Caleb revealed to Lipps that his wife was the first person he came out to, which was "a tough one to even begin to put into words" because their marriage was "the only relationship I've ever had," he said. "[And] also at the time, I was still coming to grips with it. But I had to... I was, like, 'I can't do this anymore. I have to be honest about what's going on with me.' And honestly, in a weird way, the music... Well, not even in a weird way. I mean, the music and the trajectory of my life is what led me to coming out."

In her Instagram post, Fleur Shomo wrote: "I will always want to love, protect and support Caleb. I have cared more about his well-being over the years than anything else in the world. To see the confusion and pain he went through and the highs and lows and wanting to help but now knowing how. You never want anything more for your person than for them to just be ok."

She continued: "Our nearly 14 years of marriage was wonderful and full of so much fun, adventure & love. Nobody will know anything about our marriage like we do. And no one can ever truly know what depths of love exist between two people unless they are those people. I already miss it & my husband more than anything. Our story was a good one. And now it is done."

"Pure Ecstasy" was released on August 28 via Fearless Records.

BEARTOOTH will support "Pure Ecstasy" with the massive "Pure Ecstasy World Tour" that kicks off September 17 in Europe. The North American leg begins on November 11 in Boston and includes stops at New York City's Hammerstein Ballroom on November 12 and The Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles on December 18. Special guests DON BROCO, MAGNOLIA PARK and WINDWAKER are the support for the U.S. dates.