Overview

• On August 6, the celebrity hairstylist told Jay Shetty he spent decades hiding his sexuality before coming out to his nine-year partner, Katie Katon, and their two children.
• He admitted that revealing his identity filled him with guilt and shame, feeling he had “failed as a dad” and fearing his children would face bullying.
• Appleton described attempting to end his life with painkillers and alcohol in a hotel room after the emotional fallout from coming out.
• Awakening in hospital prompted him to “surrender” and fully embrace his queer identity as a crucial turning point in his mental health journey.
• He revisited his April 2023 wedding to actor Lukas Gage, officiated by Kim Kardashian, and the media-fueled scrutiny that followed their divorce later that year.