Is August Alsina Gay? Fans Assume the Singer Came Out on 'The Surreal Life'

August Alsina made headlines following the last moments of "The Surreal Life" season finale in November 2022. The singer introduced the person teaching him about love and healing to the world, leading viewers to believe he was coming out.

Although August Alsina has kept his personal life relatively private, the artist has continually made headlines regarding his love life over the last few years. In 2020, he opened up about his relationship with Jada Pinkett Smith while she was still legally married to Will Smith.

The couple, who remain married, publicly addressed the matter on "The Red Table." Two years later, August joined the main cast of "The Surreal Life" and ended the show's reboot season on a positive note with what viewers assumed was his new boyfriend.

The Moment That Started the Frenzy

During his confessional on the season finale of "The Surreal Life," August reflected on how drastically his life had changed after an entire year of filming the VH1 reality show. The artist felt he'd learned about love "in so many different forms and facets."

"And then, what do you know? Love showed up but in a new way. I want to share that and really honor the person that I love, and that loves me back and teaching me so much about love and healing. I want to do that in front of the world," he declared.

As he continued, explaining that this new love defied all constructs of what love "is supposed to be or would look like," August invited someone to join him on camera. A young man appeared and sat next to the singer. The pair embraced as August told the gentleman, "I love you."

Fans React to August Alsina's 'Coming Out'

As the credits rolled, fans immediately took to social media to share and react to what they assumed was August coming out as gay. "Not August Alsina coming out the closet [...] truly unexpected but also unsurprising," one viewer wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

"August Alsina coming out as gay is something I didn't expect. Shocked," another said, while someone else observed, "The way that Twitter is falling out over August Alsina coming out the closet got me screaming, lol. (sic)"

Still, the support for the singer was widespread, as one shared, "August Alsina coming out was not on my 2022 Bingo Card! But I'm proud!" Another said, "August Alsina coming out was the classiest [expletive] I've seen [...] you're doing great sweetie."

Notably, some fans weren't so taken aback, while others didn't see August's announcement as him coming out as gay. One X user saw it as a publicity stunt for the show, which also starred Tamar Braxton and Dennis Rodman.

August Alsina Has Yet to Clarify If He Was Coming Out

Since the speculation began, August has yet to clarify if he was indeed coming out as a member of the LGBTQ+ community and if the young man he invited onscreen was his boyfriend. But, as previously mentioned, one confirmed lover in his dating history is Jada.

August spoke about his and Jada's romance in July 2020, sharing that he fully invested himself in their relationship and that ending it "broke" him down. He claimed he had received Will's blessing to be with Jada, as the couple had already separated (now rumored to be heading for divorce).

However, when Jada addressed the relationship, which she infamously described as an "entanglement" on "The Red Table," she clarified that the only person who had given "permission" was herself. Soon after, August released a song with Rick Ross titled "Entanglements."