Gay weather daddy Sam Champion publicly revealed he’s gay just two years ago, but only the Queen of All Media can give him the proper Oprah moment to unpack the emotions of coming out to fans and family.
For a segment on Sunday’s episode of Oprah Winfrey’s “Where Are They Now?” (video below), Champion (photo, right at Atlanta's HRC dinner) dives into his journey from being publicly closeted but privately out at a New York City station from 1988-2006.
He takes us through his public revelations as a “Good Morning America” star when he announced his 2012 wedding to partner Rubem Robierb (center). That happened just before Champion came to sit atop The Weather Channel as Atlanta’s reigning gay weather daddy. But Champion was never closeted off camera, he says in the segment.
“I had been openly gay since I was at Channel 7,” he says of New York City’s WABC TV. “I just never took it on as a topic. I never sat down and talked to someone about it.”
The weather guru’s voice cracks when talking about his husband, but the most touching piece of the segment comes when Champion remembers the struggle and reconciliation over his sexual orientation with his late father. Their father-son story came to its conclusion long before the public ever knew Champion was gay.
“I remember him saying to me, 'I cannot support this lazy lifestyle choice,'” Champion says in the video. “I'm like, 'You're the smartest guy I know. You sound so incredibly dumb right now. You knew I was different from the time I was a kid. I was just different. I would not choose this. I would not!'”
Watch Champion's revelations below, then go soak up our adoration of his sexy assets, Southern charm, and hot talented husband before you fawn over their on-air swooning and kick-ass condo.
(Photo by Sher Pruitt)
