Colton Haynes Gets Very Candid About His Experience In Hollywood

The following article includes mentions of substance abuse.

Colton Haynes is not one to mince his words when it comes to calling out the injustices he's experienced — and continues to experience — in Hollywood.

The "Teen Wolf" star, who came out as gay in 2016, once blasted the industry for its tendency to zero in on an artist's personal life instead of their skills. "Hollywood is so f****d up. So much of the focus is on your personal life & has nothing to do with the talent you have to bring to the table," he wrote in a tweet. Before coming out, he admitted he'd been asked to remain in the closet so he'd gain more work opportunities. "I was literally told from the day that I moved to Los Angeles that I could not be gay because I wouldn't work," he said during a SiriusXM interview. "I was with my management team and a team of people who literally told me I couldn't be this way."

To this day, Haynes has remained vocal about his struggles. In his upcoming book, "Miss Memory Lane," he opens up about the trials and tribulations he's experienced in his career, including how he was forced to be someone he's not.

Ahead of the release of his memoir, "Miss Memory Lane," Colton Haynes shared how he had it rough growing up and trying to make it big in Hollywood, to the point that recounting the memories "nearly killed me." He confessed, "I needed to rid myself of the things I've held onto for so long.

In an interview with People, Haynes shared that at the beginning of his career, he did everything he could "to be what everyone else wanted me to be." He stuffed his shoes to appear taller, put Post-Its under his tongue to remove his lisp, and attended movement classes to "straighten up my mannerisms" and stop "sounding gay." While it all worked to his benefit, he developed an addiction, especially when his agents and managers advised him not to come out. He became dependent on Adderall and Xanax, and when he came out later on and briefly entered a marriage, he overdosed. "I had tubes coming out of every hole in my body," he recalled of the incident that happened in 2018. "I couldn't see out of my left eye."

Haynes is now sober and fully recovered and ready to change the course of his career. He does acknowledge, though, that Hollywood has a long way to go in terms of being inclusive. "Name one lead out leading actor, male romantic lead who's openly gay? I don't think Hollywood has changed," he said. But in his essay for Vulture published in 2021, he called for change. "Consumers are mostly straight, so don't alienate them. But lots of the decision-makers are gay, so play that game!"

If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).