Rumors that Odell Beckham Jr. could be gay are stirring up again after actress Zendaya allegedly threw a shot at her rumored flame after their relationship ended.
The New York Giants wide receiver has been the subject of rumors dating back years, with sources claiming that he is gay and closeted. Whether fair or not, those rumors have cropped up frequently and are back in the spotlight again thanks to what was reported to be a strange statement from Zendaya.
A site called Paparazzi Jamaica claimed Zendaya and Odell Beckham Jr. broke up and that the Pro Bowler’s sexuality may have been the cause.
“Someone posted a statement saying that Zendaya broke up with him because he’s gay — and she liked it,” the report claimed.
It offered a screenshot of the Twitter post in question, but it was not immediately clear if Zendaya actually commented on it.
In fact, there was not a lot of substance to back up the report, which could be a hoax meant to further the rumors that Odell Beckham Jr. is gay and gain clicks from curious readers.
Terez Owens , a sports-related sister site to Perez Hilton , posted a story with the same screenshot image.
Zendaya Just BLASTED Ex-Boyfriend Odell Beckham Jr After She Found Out He Was Gay — [Image https://t.co/pjwuL1YhPd pic.twitter.com/MyhP5I0zeG
— Paparazzi Jamaica (@PaparazziJa) January 30, 2017
Because he is in the spotlight as one of the NFL’s brightest young stars in the most media-saturated market, Odell Beckham Jr. has been subject to a level of scrutiny most other players don’t see. Since the rumors emerged that he may be gay, celebrity news and gossip outlets have dissected nearly every move OBJ has made.
One example was a seemingly innocent video he posted to his Instagram page last summer. As Esquire noted, the video appeared to show a bit of locker room fun between Beckham and a teammate.
“On Friday, Odell Beckham Jr. posted a video of himself performing jacuzzi karaoke. He sang Marvin Gaye’s Sexual Healing while teammate Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie emerged from below the water’s surface. It’s pretty hilarious and also really clear that nothing remotely sexual is happening here. It’s two teammates goofing around.”
But the video was picked up by the Instagram account the Shade Room , Esquire noted, and from there the rumors that Odell Beckham Jr. was gay started rolling.
That wasn’t the first time that OBJ was in the sights of the Shade Room , with the social media account picking up on another video of the Giants wide receiver dancing with another man.
Odell Beckham Jr. blasted the “ignorant people” behind the post, saying, “Easter egg huntin, they gotta look for sumn.”
Esquire stuck up for OBJ as well.
“The man’s sexuality will continue to be under scrutiny, even though it is none of our business until he decides it is,” the report noted. “Until then, he’s just having fun on social media. And, no on can deny, the man knows how to go viral. More power to him.”
The rumors that Odell Beckham Jr. is gay come at a time of growing debate over sexuality and the NFL. Over the course of the last three to four seasons, there have been rumors that a player or group of players are ready to come out as gay, a groundbreaking moment for a sport that has never had an openly gay player during their career.
Dez Bryant defends Odell Beckham Jr.: If more Giants were like him ‘maybe they’d do something special’ https://t.co/luOFmF0JQb
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) January 30, 2017
But the announcement never came, and there were rumors that the atmosphere within teams and locker rooms were not yet conducive and audiences not ready to accept a gay player.
Whatever the case with the most recent rumors around Zendaya — including whether the report of her Twitter comment actually happened or is just a manufactured rumor — Odell Beckham Jr. hasn’t responded to the most recent rumors that he is gay.
[Featured Image by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images]
