T.R. Knight was told not to come out

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May 12, 2007

T.R. Knight was told not to come out

Before Grey's Anatomy star T. R. Knight came out last year, some advised him not to do it, he says in a new interview.

While friends were "beautifully supportive," Knight, 34, tells The Advocate in its June 19 issue, others cautiously advised him, "Don't do it � don't do it now."

Looking back, he says:

"I remember saying to someone when I got one of those 'don't do it' [comments] � I just remember hearing my voice being calm and saying, 'No, it's going happen. It's going to happen. I'm just letting you know.' "

Ultimately, he's glad he decided to come out after castmate Isaiah Washington referred to him on-set by a homophobic slur.

"I made the decision to make a statement," he says. "I could have not [spoken up]. I could have retreated. But I'm definitely happy I made the decision."

Since coming out, Knight, who plays the unassuming Dr. George O'Malley on the hit ABC drama, has seen his character marry Dr. Callie Torres (Sara Ramirez) and bed fellow M.D.'s Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) and Izzie Stevens (Katherine Heigl).

Off camera, Heigl is a close friend, but she says he came out to her gradually.

"There came a point where we were close enough friends that he would just talk about dates or about other guys."

"I wasn't shocked or surprised. ... It was more just like, 'Oh, okay, now I know why you don't want to go out with me.' "

But Knight, who is single insists coming out hasn't much affected his love life. He says with a laugh that he still assumes people aren't interested in him, but notes: