Brothers Osborne singer T.J. Osborne made headlines in 2021 when he publicly came out as gay, becoming the first openly gay artist signed to a major country music label. Since coming out, questions have swirled about who Osborne might be dating. While Osborne has remained fairly private about the details of his personal life, some information has emerged about his relationship status.
T.J. Osborne’s coming out
In February 2021, T.J. Osborne gave an interview with Time magazine where he openly talked about being gay for the first time publicly. “I’m very comfortable being gay,” Osborne stated. “I find myself being guarded for not wanting to talk about something that I personally don’t have a problem with. That feels so strange.”
Osborne’s decision to come out was widely praised within the country music community and by LGBTQ advocates. However, Osborne admitted he was unsure what the reaction would be from fans and the country genre overall. “I don’t think I’ve ever shaken fear about the reactions,“ he told Time. “Some of that comes from people I’ve been around who consider themselves good people but still think it’s funny to poke at that. Hopefully people like that are few and far between. I’m not necessarily hopeful for change, but I’m hopeful for acceptance.”
Speculation about T.J. Osborne’s dating life
Since coming out publicly, there has been much interest and speculation around T.J. Osborne’s dating and relationship status. However, Osborne has not directly confirmed being in a relationship. Some of the speculation has centered around Osborne’s Instagram activity.
In June 2021, Osborne posted a photo of himself with a man named Matt on Instagram with the caption “Happy Pride!” This led many to speculate that Matt could be Osborne’s boyfriend, but nothing has been confirmed.
There was also speculation that Osborne was dating a man named Jeremy Hutchins after flirtatious Instagram exchanges between the two. However, it does not appear Hutchins and Osborne were ever officially an item.
As of late 2022 and early 2023, there have been no signs of public dating or clear confirmation of a boyfriend from Osborne. It seems he has chosen to keep that part of his life private for now.
Osborne’s view on relationships
In interviews, T.J. Osborne has spoken generally about relationships but has not provided any confirmation that he is currently dating someone. In an August 2021 interview with Entertainment Tonight, Osborne stated:
“I still have yet to date really in Nashville. I’m still trying to wrap my head around that and around what that looks like for me…Hopefully there’ll be a day where it just makes sense.”
He went on to say: “I don’t know if I see myself in some super public relationship…I tend to be brutally honest sometimes to a fault and I tend to wear my heart on my sleeve, so I don’t know. I guess we’ll see when that day happens.”
While not directly addressing his current relationship status, these quotes provide some insight into Osborne’s mindset and approach when it comes to dating as an openly gay country music star.
Focus on music and advocacy work
For now, T.J. Osborne seems to be focusing more on his music career and advocacy work than high-profile relationships. In 2022, Brothers Osborne released their third studio album Skeletons with the hit single “I’m Not For Everyone.”
Osborne also continues to speak out about LGBTQ acceptance in country music and challenge the genre’s traditional attitudes. He sees himself having an important role as one of the few openly gay voices in the industry.
“I want to be visible and open and transparent with people…so that people see that you can be a famous entertainer and still be gay,” he told ABC News in 2021.
Reaction from fans
Overall, T.J. Osborne coming out appears to have been met with widespread support from Brothers Osborne fans.
On their social media channels, most reactions have been positive and grateful for Osborne living his truth. There are plenty of comments declaring pride in Osborne and offering congratulations.
Of course, there have also been some negative reactions from those not accepting of LGBTQ identities. But this has not seemed to dominate the overall fan response.
Many fans have also expressed curiosity and interest in learning more about Osborne’s dating life. But the intrigue has not crossed over into invasive speculation so far.
Possibility of more details emerging
While T.J. Osborne is not currently very public about who he may be dating, that could always change in the future. As one of the biggest names in country music, there is much interest in Osborne’s personal life.
Some speculate that Osborne may intentionally be keeping a low profile when it comes to dating as he establishes himself as an openly gay artist. But down the road, he may become more open publicly about a serious relationship.
Other high-profile LGBTQ celebrities like Neil Patrick Harris and Ellen DeGeneres eventually shared more about their relationships after initially being private. Osborne could always do the same if he meets the right person.
For now, fans seem respectful of Osborne’s privacy and are just happy to see him living authentically. But the possibility remains that more details could emerge down the road about who T.J. Osborne may be lucky enough to call his boyfriend.
Conclusion
While many fans are curious if T.J. Osborne has a boyfriend, the singer has not publicly confirmed being in a relationship since coming out. Osborne seems focused currently on his music career and advocacy work more than high-profile dating. Some details have spilled out on social media about potential past dating, but Osborne himself has not shared anything definite. Fans remain largely supportive of Osborne living openly as a gay man, though many express interest in knowing more about his personal life. There is always the possibility Osborne could share more publicly in the future if he embarks on a serious relationship. For now, he appears to be keeping that aspect private as he continues blazing a trail as one of country music’s only openly gay artists.