Shaun T. Is Gay: Famous “Insanity” Fitness Guru Comes Out Via Retweet

Shaun Thompson has a lot to celebrate. He came out publicly on Twitter for the first time Saturday, and with good reason: it was his wedding day, and he was marrying a man.

Thompson, who goes by Shaun T., is well-known for his popular “Insanity” workout routine and his “Hip-Hop Abs” video, although he’s also produced some fitness programming for kids and pre-teens. (Side note: his first professional dance experience was traveling with Mariah Carey, and therefore he is flawless.)

What this means is that if you’re anything like my friend Danny, who watches infomercials for fun on his cable television, you’ve seen Shaun T. And if you’re anything like me, you probably tried to buy “Hip-Hop Abs” once but got way too caught up asking the operator “if this is a scam or if it’s for real” to ever give them your debit card information. You may even have a set of hip-hop abs of your own.

Shaun came out by retweeting a friend’s remarks about his nuptials to longtime partner Scott Blokker.

Thompson tweeted photos of the NYC ceremony following the retweet. Let me say now: it was a damn good looking wedding.

Thompson has gone on to talk more about his marriage, as well as respond to comments from supporters, using Twitter. He has since remarked that he was “never in the closet,” despite having never come out in the public arena.

Before you go! Autostraddle runs on the reader support of our AF+ Members. If this article meant something to you today — if it informed you or made you smile or feel seen, will you consider joining AF and supporting the people who make this queer media site possible?

Join AF+!

Carmen

Carmen spent six years at Autostraddle, ultimately serving as Straddleverse Director, Feminism Editor and Social Media Co-Director. She is now the Consulting Digital Editor at Ms. and writes regularly for DAME, the Women’s Media Center, the National Women’s History Museum and other prominent feminist platforms; her work has also been published in print and online by outlets like BuzzFeed, Bitch, Bust, CityLab, ElixHER, Feministing, Feminist Formations, GirlBoss, GrokNation, MEL, Mic and SIGNS, and she is a co-founder of Argot Magazine. You can find Carmen on Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr or in the drive-thru line at the nearest In-N-Out.

Carmen has written 919 articles for us.

27 Comments

  1. Damn, that is indeed a good looking couple. If only I didn’t live under a rock and actually owned a television so I knew who the hell this person was.

  2. oh my god! i luv shaun t! i did insanity the asylum (it rle worked)! im so proud of him! he is amazing and im glad he gets to share his amazing life with someone! congrats shaun!

  3. Is it possible for a couple to have too many abs? I mean, it’s just not fair. Jk, they are adorable.

  4. Literally the only picture I’ve seen of someone in a fedora who didn’t look like an asshole. Congrats to them both and their wedding looks super adorable!

  5. I love this. They’re adorbs!! Also, pretty sure I just won a bet…cause Shaun T has been pinging on my caudate for years.

  6. i really like that this kind of casual not-coming out coming out seems to be more and more common lately among people “in the public sphere.”

  7. I totally do the insanity workouts, and often curse him. Now I feel like I just want to hug him though!!

  8. The ceremony was gorgeous! It was – by far- the best show on Broadway that night full of singing, dancing, DJ’s, and an aerialist! So happy for Scott & Shaun!

  9. Wow!! They are simultaneously cute and handsome. I love the cuddling photo. Also I do Insanity and it most definitely works, it’s super hard but it works. It gives you a six pack without doing much ab centred workouts. Seriously Shaun is a exercise genius.

  10. I hate Shaun T sooooo much when I’m dying through Insanity, but also totally love him, you know, when I’m not half-dead doing v-push-ups or some shit. They are a supremely hot couple!

  11. Congrats to Shaun and Scott. I had the chance to hangout with them on a Beachbody Coach trip in St. Maarten two years ago. Great people.

  12. Happy for Shaun T.and his husband. He derseves to be happy! Insanity is the best workout video out! it is simply amazing and im seeing great results! congrats 2 u Shaun T. I will be buying the new workout Insanity pt2!

  13. This makes me ridiculously happy. He’s a sweet, sweet man, even though Insanity makes me call him very mean things.

  14. Really? I guess you’ll just be fat and bigoted forever now. Ah well, a rockin body is not for everyone.
    Cheers to you, Shaunn T.

  15. I don’t know why everyone is so shocked that Shaun T got married or that he is gay, I called it years ago when he first started doing his dance exercise videos. There was something feminine about the way he danced and spoke even though he had a masculine voice, rockhard abs and handsome face, to me it was all just gay. Don’t misunderstand, by no means am against gays or dislike them, I just think it was great that he came out and people like me who suspected don’t have to guess anymore. Hoorah,hoorah Shaun T.

  16. This is actually FANTASTIC news to me because now I think I have a chance with all his fitness posse girls on the Insanity dvds! Call me ladies!

  17. Hey Shaun,

    I’m happy you came out be the you you ultimately want to be. And if you can’t get your happiness then no one will.
    I’m so proud of you and thank you for T25 and Insanity. I am learning to love and get back to me again. for everyone else who has a problem with I can refer you to my closet which most of you are in anyway.
    w/ Love,

    Fayth

Comments are closed.