Darren Hayes says self-denial over his own sexuality was ‘like an identity disorder’

Darren Hayes has spoken on his life ‘rife with trauma’ and how abuse in his childhood made him feel ‘ugly’ and hide his sexuality.

The Savage Garden frontman, 50, revealed that his self-denial over his own sexuality was ‘almost like an identity disorder’ in a new wide-ranging interview to promote his new album Homosexual.

‘So much of the messaging I got as a child was that who I am was ugly, was something to be ashamed of, was something that I should keep secret,’ he told Nine.

‘That part of me that was attracted to men, it was like my mind fractured and I managed to create this other personality, and that person I never let live. That person was just a secret, even to myself,’ he added.

The singer who was closeted for years is a vocal advocate of LBGTQ rights and often speaks about his trauma being forced to hide his sexuality.

Darren also revealed his father was a ‘violent alcoholic’ and the family were forced to move into a caravan park when his mother left her husband.  

‘He domestically abused my mother, he physically abused her and he physically abused his children and although my mother eventually divorced him, he’s not a part of our lives. That was, at the time, not something you could speak about.

The Savage Garden frontman, 50, revealed that his self-denial over his own sexuality was ‘almost like an identity disorder’ in a new wide-ranging interview ahead of his new album Homosexual

‘And as a very young child, I learned how to keep that secret and to carry his shame, as a lot of victims of abuse do.

He also explained how he learned to ‘keep it secret and carry his shame’ as a child.

‘I carried that around and then long before I even knew what gay was, I was called gay. My father was the first person to ever call me the F-word.

‘When I was at school, children would “other” me and tell me I was gay and I didn’t know what that meant.’

The singer who was closeted for years is a vocal advocate of LBGTQ rights and often speaks about his trauma being forced to hide his sexuality

It comes as Darren lifted the lid on Savage Garden’s acrimonious breakup as he prepares to release his first album in over a decade. 

Savage Garden, comprising Darren and guitarist Daniel Jones, formed in 1993 and produced a slew of No. 1 hits like To the Moon and Back and Truly Madly Deeply.

Sadly, a rift between the bandmates caused them to part ways at the height of their fame in 2001. 

It comes as Darren lifted the lid on Savage Garden’s acrimonious breakup as he prepares to release his first album in over a decade

Darren continued with a solo career while Daniel went on to marry former Hi-5 star Kathleen De Leon. 

Appearing on Thursday’s Kyle And Jackie O Show, Darren clarified that the real reason Savage Garden split was because Daniel decided to leave.

The singer explained this when he pulled up host Kyle Sandilands for casually saying that he was the one who quit Savage Garden. 

Darren continued with a solo career while Daniel went on to marry former Hi-5 star Kathleen De Leon

Darren is now preparing to release his long-awaited fifth solo album, titled Homosexual. 

The hitmaker came out in 2006 when he married his partner Richard Cullen in the UK. 

In a statement, Darren explained: ‘I named my album ‘Homosexual’ for a variety of reasons. The most obvious, is that I’m a gay man who grew up in an era when that word was used to shame and vilify people like me, so I wanted to reclaim it.’ 

Homosexual the album will be released on October 7. Darren will tour across Australia and the UK from January 2023. 

Darren Hayes, 50, has revealed the truth about Savage Garden’s bitter split as he prepares to make a career comeback. (Pictured: Savage Garden singer Darren Hayes and guitarist Daniel Jones, Los Angeles, 2000)