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I’m sure you know Clay Aiken from “American Idol.”
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In 2003, Clay finished second place on the second season of the singing competition series and went multi-platinum with his debut album “Measure of a Man.”
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Aside from being among the most successful Idol alums in the ranks with winners like Carrie Underwood, Fantasia Barrino-Taylor, and Kelly Clarkson — Clay’s early career was sometimes overshadowed by speculation over his sexuality and personal life.
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If you remember, in a September 2008 cover story of “People,” Clay came out as gay.
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Speaking again with the publication, he said it was a decision that “lost maybe 50 percent of the fanbase” but notes we’re living in a “very different time” now.
But, while the 46-year-old father is out and proud, he’s still 100% single, and his outlook is refreshingly honest.
Clay shares a teenage son, Parker, with his best friend, music producer Jaymes Foster. It was the birth of his son that inspired him to come out. “It was the first decision I made as a father,” Clay (who was 29 at the time) told “People.” “I cannot raise a child to lie or to hide things. I wasn’t raised that way, and I’m not going to raise a child to do that.”
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In a new conversation with “People,” Clay explained why he refuses to change his “ways” for any potential suitors. “I just turned 46, and I have discovered I’m too old to change my ways for anybody,” he said.
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“Unless I can find somebody who’s happy to sit on the other end of the couch and not talk for hours at a time, then I’m perfectly fine not having to deal with that,” he added.
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Clay is not trying to change for anybody at this stage, and it’s a fair take. “You shouldn’t have to change your ways, but we do. When we’re younger, we end up thinking we should… and then as we get older, we realize, ‘I just don’t have the energy for that.'”
However, being content with the single life doesn’t mean Clay’s not open to a relationship. He’s just very sure what that relationship would look like.
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“If there is a perfect soulmate for me out there, then he is perfectly happy to go for a full 24 hours in the same house, but not having to speak. That’s the dream,” Clay said.
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Look. I’m over 35, single, and highly independent, so Clay’s explanation makes a lot of sense. He’s not the only celebrity who recently talked about why they’re single. Take Whoopi Goldberg’s hilarious explanation, for example. I know I’m taking notes!
Single people, enter the chat. What is your reason for being single still? Let’s trade notes and share our stories in the comments.