Clay Aiken recently opened up about a challenging experience in his life during an appearance on Page Six Radio. The singer, now 47, reflected on the moment he was publicly outed by Rosie O’Donnell during a live episode of ‘The View’ in November 2006. Aiken shared the impact of this revelation, saying, “I died inside a lot that week.” The incident began with a phone call from his son’s mother alerting him to the news. He expressed his surprise and anxiety, stating, “I woke up. I was freaked out.”

O’Donnell’s confrontation with Kelly Ripa arose after Aiken, co-hosting ‘Live with Regis and Kelly,’ playfully covered Ripa’s mouth. Ripa responded by removing his hand, quipping, “I don’t know where that hand’s been, honey.” O’Donnell later described Ripa’s comment as “homophobic” while defending Aiken on ‘The View’. She told Ripa, “From where I sit as a gay person in the world, I have to tell you, that’s how it came off to me.” Aiken, who was in Los Angeles at the time, clarified his stance. He said, “I don’t have any ill feelings against Rosie. She did mean well,” acknowledging that O’Donnell’s choice of words stemmed from a heated moment.

Ripa defended her comment, citing hygiene concerns during cold and flu season due to Aiken’s interaction with the audience. She regarded the implication of homophobia as “outrageous.” Aiken later brought up the incident at the VMA Awards, presenting alongside Tori Spelling. He praised Spelling for being “very gracious” in trying to ease tensions.

Despite being mistakenly outed, Aiken publicly confirmed his sexuality in September 2008. He appeared on the cover of People magazine with the headline “Yes, I’m Gay,” alongside his newborn son. Aiken explained to the magazine, “It was the first decision I made as a father. I cannot raise a child to lie or to hide things.” His son was born through in vitro fertilization with his close friend Jaymes Foster.

Aiken gained recognition on Season 2 of ‘American Idol’ in 2003, finishing as the runner-up to Ruben Studdard. Reflecting on the early expectations of the competition, Aiken told People, “Nobody thought that anybody was going to… Even Kelly [Clarkson] had not had anything happen for her yet.” He noted that at the time of their auditions, Clarkson’s album had yet to release, revealing that they were unaware of the significance of the contest.