Many times in the Latino community, when a member of the family comes out as gay, there are mixed reactions and when you’re a celebrity, everyone has an opinion. Chiquis Rivera, the late Jenni Rivera’s daughter confirmed this week that her brother Johny is gay after some images of him with another young man surfaced on social media. The singer confirmed the news on El gordo y la flaca and is fully supportive of her brother, and while his aunt Rosie loves him, she doesn’t agree with her nephew’s lifestyle choice.
“It’s true. I support him, he’s my boy and I have always supported the gay community. I am spiritual and my religion is love, he’s happy, and I am happy with him and I support him,” Chiquis Rivera said during the program. Johny was pictured alongside a young man named Joaquín and people started speculating that he was more than just his friend.
“People say that if Jenni would be alive, she wouldn’t support his decision. Things aren’t like that and before you start judging, sit down with a person from the gay community. Don’t judge!,” said Chiquis. “It saddens me to see these ugly comments. He’s my baby, my boy, and love is love and he’s not hurting anyone and it’s not good that people are talking about this subject about a minor.”
Rosie Rivera took to Instagram to share what she thought about her nephew coming out. “My beliefs don’t change…and my love doesn’t either,” she said in a post. The very religious aunt said that before anything she is an aunt and she will always love him no matter what. “I don’t agree with his decision but it’s not my place to control or change him. I love him, he’s brave and strong, I admire his braveness to speak out and I am with him.”
Now that the news is out, Johny took to social media and is seen alongside his sister Chiquis talking about what’s been going on during the last couple of years. “I am in a gay relationship right now and I am in love with this person,” he says in the video below. He’s been dealing with this part of myself for a long time now and has been dating Joaquin on and off for 2 years and have been back together for about 5 months now.
“I experimented with girls, I tried different things here and there and I still don’t know my preference, but I do know that I love this person a lot, I’ve been in love with him for 2 years now and I’m happy, I’m really happy, I’m the happiest I’ve ever been.” One thing he regrets is not having told his late mother about this side of himself, which is something that he is often questioned about, but Chiquis believes that she would’ve supported his decision and would have defended his lifestyle choice because that’s what makes him happy.