Crumbl co-founder Sawyer Hemsley came out as gay on Monday after rumors about his sexuality surged on social media.
Hemsley, who founded the popular cookie franchise in 2017, revealed that he’s faced online speculation about people “trying to define me, twist things, and share conversations in ways that feel harmful” and instead sharing his news “in my own words.”
“The truth is, over the past few years I’ve come to understand and accept that I’m gay,” Hemsley captioned in a social media post that showed him hugging one of his dogs on Monday. “It’s taken me a long time to really process this part of myself and even longer to feel comfortable enough to say it out loud.”
Hemsley’s Instagram post came days after influencers on TikTok went viral for posting videos that speculated about his personal life.
Influencer Grant Gibbs sparked a viral conversation on Aug. 21 when he posted a TikTok video alleging “that man is so gay.”
The video received over 1.5 million views and caused other social media users to create their own content that speculated about Hemsley’s sex life.
“For most of my life, I didn’t have the clarity to answer the questions or respond to the rumors,” Hemsley continued. “Coming to terms with it has been overwhelming and, at times, scary — but it has also brought me peace, joy, and authenticity that I wouldn’t trade for anything.”
Hemsley shared that uncovering his truth was not an easy path.
“I grew up with values and beliefs that I still deeply love and respect, which made this journey more complicated,” Hemsley added. “But I remain grateful for my foundation, even as I’ve worked to embrace this truth about myself.”
Hemsley grew up in Southeastern Idaho and served as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Mexico while in college at Utah State, according to a 2022 interview in the school’s magazine.
The baking businessman hoped that coming out as gay would be met with “kindness, empathy and love.”
Hemsley continued, “At the end of the day, I’m deeply thankful: for the opportunities I’ve had, for the people who support me, and for the chance to live and share my story. It’s a journey of growth and honesty, and one I’ll never stop being grateful for.”
During his senior year at Utah State, Hemsley and his cousin Jason McGowan created the idea for Crumbl Cookies.
The duo opened up their first shop in 2017, a year before Hemsley graduated with a bachelor’s degree in communication studies with minors in marketing and multimedia development.
The cousins had “zero experience” in baking before they pursued the sweet venture, according to McGowan’s Instagram post on Aug. 11.
Crumbl has 1,071 locations worldwide and sells 1 million desserts daily, per the Crumbl website.
Hemsley has since opened businesses like Crust Club, Polar Bear Eats Drive-In and Rockhill Cheese.
