Clay Aiken Officially Comes Out of the Closet

Hollywood's worst kept secret is finally out of the bag: Clay Aiken is gay.

Though many guessed at Aiken's sexual preference since his American Idol days, Aiken remained mum on the topic. There was wide speculation that Aiken was homosexual, though Aiken refrained from confirming or denying the issue.

With the latest cover of People magazine, Aiken laid the issue to rest. Holding his newborn son, Parker Foster Aiken, a headline states, "Yes, I'm Gay." The cover also quotes Aiken as saying, "I cannot raise a child to lie or hide things."

People magazine has refused to release the article to the Associated Press until Wednesday, though reps did confirm that Aiken is on the cover and they have an interview with the star.

Aiken dodged the sexuality issue as he rose to American Idol fame in 2003. During an interview with the Associated Press in 2006, Aiken said, "I don't really feel like I have anybody to answer to but myself and God and the people I love."

Aiken's son was conceived by in-vitro fertilization with his friend and record producer, Jaymes Foster.

Aiken made his debut on Broadway this spring in the play, Monty Python's Spamalot. His latest album, On My Way Here, was released this May.