INDIAN AMERICAN actor and former White House staff member Kal Penn, 44, has revealed that he is gay in a new memoir, reported The Daily Mail.
In his book, You Can't Be Serious, the Harold & Kumar actor has said that he is engaged to his partner, Josh, who he has been with for more than eleven years. He added that his partner likes to stay away from the limelight.
Penn joined the Obama administration as the principal associate director in the White House office of public engagement in 2009.
On Sunday (31), he appeared on Instagram to promote his upcoming project with his 260,000 followers.
In the book, he has shared the story of how his long-term relationship came to be, starting with a first date that included an 18-pack of beer.
"I'm really excited to share our relationship with readers. But Josh, my partner, my parents, and my brother - four people who I'm closest to in the family - are fairly quiet. They don't love attention and shy away from the limelight," Penn said.
In the forthcoming book, Penn said he feels 'very fortunate' that his family and friends have been supportive of his relationship.
"I shared things with my parents and close friends first. I felt very supported by everyone. That's a wonderful thing. I know everybody has different experiences with that and so I definitely feel very fortunate," he was quoted as saying in the report.
Penn said that he 'discovered [his] own sexuality relatively late in life compared to many other people,' adding that 'there's no timeline on this stuff.
He said 'the whole point of writing this book was for the reader to feel like we're having a beer together.
Based in Montclair, New Jersey, Penn has already established his presence in Hollywood for more than 20 years. He appeared in movies including Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle and its sequel Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay; as well as Van Wilder and Superman Returns.
He's also appeared on a number of TV shows, including Clarice, Designated Survivor, The Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother and House.
'What I love and am passionate about with service, is this concept that, yes, we elect officials but things don't actually get done until we put our boots to the ground and become part of that solution,' he told ABC News in 2011.
Clifford had previously pleaded guilty to the murders of BBC sports commentator John Hunt’s wife and two daughters at their home in northwest of London, in July 2024. (Photo: Hertfordshire Police /Handout via REUTERS)
Crossbow murderer found guilty of raping ex-girlfriend
A 26-YEAR-OLD man who murdered three women in a crossbow and stabbing attack has been found guilty of raping one of them, his ex-girlfriend, a British court ruled on Thursday.
Kyle Clifford had previously pleaded guilty to the murders of BBC sports commentator John Hunt’s wife and two daughters at their home in Bushey, northwest of London, in July 2024.
The attack led to a manhunt before Clifford was found injured hours later in a north London cemetery.
A jury at Cambridge Crown Court on Thursday convicted Clifford of raping 25-year-old Louise Hunt before killing her.
His sentencing for all the crimes is scheduled for Tuesday.
Clifford had admitted to murdering Carol Hunt, 61, and her daughters Louise and Hannah, 28. He had also pleaded guilty to charges of false imprisonment and possessing offensive weapons but denied raping Louise.
During the trial, the court heard that after killing Carol Hunt, Clifford waited for an hour before attacking Louise, tying her up, raping her, and then killing her with a crossbow. He later killed Hannah when she returned home from work.
The prosecution described Clifford, a former soldier, as committing a "violent, sexual act of spite" and said he was "enraged" after Louise ended their 18-month relationship. They told the court that he had "carefully planned" the attack.
Less than 24 hours before the killings, Clifford had searched for a podcast by social media influencer Andrew Tate, according to the prosecution. They argued that the murders were driven by the "violent misogyny promoted" by Tate.
Justice Joel Bennathan called Clifford’s crimes "dreadful" and "almost unspeakable".
(With inputs from AFP)