GZSZ
Ex-soap darling Raphael Schneider comes out: “I’m gay”
Raphael Schneider played the role of Andreas Lehmann in “Gute Zeiten, Schlechte Zeiten” from 1995 to 2002.
© AEDT / Action Press
He was one of the most popular actors in the RTL pre-evening series GZSZ. For a long time he was silent about his private life. Now the actor shares a long-kept public secret: he loves men.
Raphael Schneider, 53, no longer wants to remain silent. On the occasion of “Pride Month” in June, when the LGBTQI+ community draws attention to their rights with parties and activities, he too wants to make a statement, a very personal one at that. “Dear ones, today I would like to share with you an excerpt from a letter that I wrote to my mother more than 30 years ago, confidently and courageously,” agrees the ex-GZSZ star, known in his role as Andreas Lehmann was preparing his fans for a revelation that will have surprised many. The accompanying photo shows him sitting casually on the floor in a pink suit, proudly looking at the camera. Raphael has something to say.
GZSZ star Raphael Schneider wrote a letter to his mother
“I finally want to take up a topic that has always been taboo. Mom, I’m gay,” is the first sentence of the lines he wrote to his mother in his early 20s. Words that seem to have been considered for a long time – and yet were so important to say. At that point, Raphael obviously suspected that the loved one already knew. At the time, he combined his openness with an urgent wish. “I really hope that you accept it, because I’m still the same Raffi, only now it’s out loud and you know a little more about me again.”
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In this letter, Raphael emphasized that he no longer wanted to hide his sexual identity. It is something that is completely normal for him and to which he stands. “I know that the most important thing for you is to see me happy and I’m trying to do it this way. No one can say whether I’ll succeed [sic]”, he concludes.
“It’s time to talk about it”
The old letter to his mother has now become the message to his fans. Raphael explains to his Instagram community why he has never publicly commented on his love preferences: “For a while I wanted to, but I wasn’t allowed. For a while I didn’t want to. For a while I didn’t dare, I was afraid. For a while Nobody cares and I even failed. For a while I didn’t know how. Even though I never hid, it’s now time for me to talk about it. That’s why I show you this letter and proudly say: I’m gay ! [sic]”.
Source used: instagram.com