David Archuleta has come a long way since he publicly came out as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community.
“So much has changed. I wrote a book about it and it will be released this summer. I feel like I’m back in like what people usually have in their teenage [or] college [years,]” the American Idol alum, 34, exclusively told Us Weekly on Sunday, February 2, while attending the Janie’s Fund Grammys viewing party. “I feel like I’m having that in my 30s because I had my first sip of alcohol.”
Archuleta publicly came out in June 2021 and subsequently left his Mormon faith. In addition to trying new things that were once considered taboo by his faith, the singer also teased that his wardrobe has also transformed.
“I wouldn’t have been wearing so much like chest showing,” he shared pointing out he’s not afraid to show more skin while out and about. “Because when I was a Mormon, everything had to be from here, right? So I’m like, just showing it more like here I am.”
Archuleta added that his life has changed “so much” since then and he even wrote a book about his experience.
“I’ve been in my transition from being Mormon all my life to now not being, and from being in the closet to not being anymore,” he explained.
In addition to writing a memoir, Archuleta has also been candid on social media about his journey departing the church.
“I guess I just have fun with it in front of everybody because I think people are amused watching you learn how to be yourself more in your journey,” he told Us. “I’m not super Mormon anymore. So who am I? So it’s fun, and it’s fun to collab with other TikTokers.”
Archuleta hasn’t only connected with Internet personalities who grew up Mormon, he also bonded with Imagine Dragons frontman Dan Reynolds over their shared experience. Archuleta credited Reynolds, 37, for his work trying to bring the Mormon and LGBTQIA+ communities together.
“He started doing this organization called Love Loud in Utah to help the Mormons not be afraid of the queer community. When the first year he did it, there’s like, so few tickets, and everyone’s so afraid,” Archuleta reflected. “And now they do it in an arena, and he is killing it with it, that’s been the last six, seven years. There’s still a lot of progress to make, but there’s been a lot of progress.”
Before Archuleta publicly came out, he left Utah behind and moved to Nashville in 2015. While living there for nearly a decade, Archuleta confessed that he’s in the process of relocating to Los Angeles. Archuleta confessed that the “main reason” he decided to say goodbye to Nashville was because “so many people are afraid to show that they are queer” there.
“I was trying to date somebody over there, and they’re just like, I can’t let any of my friends know,” he told Us. “I’m like, ‘I just went through this,’ like I’m finally proud to be myself and out, like I don’t think I can do this.”
Archuleta acknowledged that he understands “everyone’s on their own journey” but he wants a partner who is just as proud to be queer as he is.
“I need to be OK with being out. I can’t hide it anymore,” he confessed. “I came out and yeah, people know, even if I don’t know them.”
As Archuleta prepares to call Los Angeles home soon, he stepped out for the Janie’s Fund Grammys viewing party. The event, which was hosted by Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler, raised money for Janie’s Fund, which provides critical resources for young women in America who have experienced abuse and neglect. The organization also partnered up with the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation to support relief efforts for the recent Los Angeles wildfires.
“We’ve been through a lot in this city just this last month, and the firefighters supporting them just kind of showing we are here for each other,” he told Us. “People usually think the entertainment industry is very stuck up and selfish and only thinks about themselves. I think events like this kind of prove that wrong.”
With reporting by Amanda Williams
