If somehow you’re ignorant of the dramatic saga that is the Crumbl co-founder, Sawyer Hemsley, being outed as gay, boy, are you in for one hell of a ride.
Crumbl is a major cookie brand in the US and Canada, with over 1,071 stores selling everything from strawberry pretzel pie cookies to a Kit Kat wafer cookies. You can’t get Crumbl here in the UK, but like all good viral dramas, this story has gone international!
Rather than the out-of-context crumbs you’ll get on Twitter, here’s the whole damn cookie explained.
People speculated on the sexuality of Crumbl founder Sawyer Hemsley
@grantegibbs Y’all I’m dying
can someone fill me in on the tea with him bc I quite literally have never seen a gayer man
In a tale as old as time, and something which would no doubt give the likes of Shawn Mendes flashbacks, people began speculating about Sawyer Hemsley’s sexuality on TikTok, claiming he was “obviously” gay.
In a post that recieved 19.9 million views and 1.6 million likes, TikTok influencer Grant Gibbs said: “This is my face after watching a video of the Crumbl CEO and seeing that that’s apparently a straight man. No it’s not. That man is so gay. That man is gay to the gods. There’s a genetic component to sexuality, mama, and let’s just say he has the gene and there’s no denying evolution. Oh my god, that’s a gay man!
“I don’t care if I’m outing a CEO with millions of dollars.”
There were soon dozens of similar videos picking apart Sawyer Hemsley’s behaviour, looking for clues of his sexuality, ranging from mannerisms to who he follows on Instagram. Grant might not have cared about “outing a CEO with millions of dollars”, but that’s exactly what happened.
Sawyer Hemsley came out after the viral TikToks
View this post on Instagram
In a rather lengthy Instagram post, Crumbl co-founder Sawyer Hemsley came out as gay as he detailed his personal journey over the last few years.
“The truth is, over the past few years, I’ve come to understand and accept that I’m gay. 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,” he wrote in the caption of an Insta pic.
“For most of my life, I didn’t have the clarity to answer the questions or respond to the rumours. 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.”
Sawyer continued to explain that he “grew up with values and beliefs that I still deeply love and respect, which made this journey more complicated”, seemingly a reference to his Mormon faith.
He continued: “I know some people may have questions or even judgments, but my hope is that kindness, empathy, and love will lead the way. I’ve learned so much through this process — about strength, compassion, and the importance of living authentically.
“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.”
Then came Grant Gibbs’ unhinged apology video – if you can even call it that
@grantegibbs I’m genuinely sorry I clocked your tea in such a massive way, but I am really happy and proud of you sister @Sawyer Hemsley
#crumbl #gay #loveislove #comingout #pride
After the viral story took off, essentially outing Sawyer to literally the entire planet, Grant posted some follow-ups on his TikTok account. Calling it an apology might be a stretch, but Grant certainly seemed at least a little bit sorry as he beamed and smiled in a rushed public video.
“Hey guys, so I just got word that the Crumbl co-founder just came out,” Grant began. “This was not my intention to ever out somebody this way, but girl, I’m so happy for you and so proud of you. You are hot and you’re going to live your best open, out, gay life, mama. You are chiselled, you are cut, like, it’s going to be such a gag. But guys, I didn’t mean for this to happen the way it did. I’m so sorry, Sawyer.”
He could have stopped there, but Grant continued to argue that Sawyer Hemsley would be “fine” after his very public outing.
“You’ve got money, you’ve got beautiful homes, beautiful clothes, and you probably have a gorgeous hole, in a way that’s like, you know what I mean. I wish I could retract what I just said. But you are going to be fine. And I think you’re going to do great in this world and I’m proud of you,” Grant said.
“At least you don’t gotta ride the subway like the rest of us.”
As the official Duolingo account rightly questioned in the comments – “A gorgeous what?”
For more like this, like The Tab on Facebook.
Featured image credit: Grant Gibbs/TikTok and Sawyer Hemsley/Instagram
