Amid chatter that he might be dating UFC bantamweight contender Payton Talbott, Frank Ocean dropped a cryptic Instagram Story that seems to double down on his sexuality.
The post showed a screenshot from what looked like an online quiz result reading, “Overall: Bi: Homosexual-Leaning,” paired with the infinity sign and a spinning heart emoji.
With little explanation attached to the screenshot, it’s hard to pin down exactly what Frank Ocean meant — whether it reflects his own sexuality or perhaps someone close to him.
Back in 2012, just ahead of his debut album Channel Orange, Ocean famously posted an open letter revealing that his first real love was a man he had unreturned feelings for at 19.
In a 2012 interview following the release of his open letter, Frank Ocean chose not to box himself in when asked if he identified as bisexual, noting that his music reflects attraction to people of all genders.
“I’ll respectfully say that life is dynamic and comes along with dynamic experiences, and the same sentiment that I have towards genres of music, I have towards a lot of labels and boxes and shit. I’m in this business to be creative—I’ll even diminish it and say to be a content provider,” he told GQ. “People should pay attention to that in the letter: I didn’t need to label it for it to have impact. Because people realize everything that I say is so relatable, because when you’re talking about romantic love, both sides in all scenarios feel the same shit. As a writer, as a creator, I’m giving you my experiences.”
Lately, Ocean has fueled speculation of a romance with UFC fighter Payton Talbott, after being spotted with him in several photos and even publicly showing support before one of his fights. Neither has directly addressed the rumors.
When Talbott was pressed about his sexuality in a recent New York Times interview, he dismissed the need to make it public: “Who I’m trying to have sex with is none of your business, unless I’m trying to have sex with you,” he said. “I don’t feel I owe anyone anything. I’m just going to try to be myself, and the people who get it will get it.”
