Adam Rippon may have been one of the biggest breakout stars of the 2018 Winter Olympics, but the figure skater insists he’s the “same ol’ hot mess” he was a decade ago.
Wearing his bronze medal from the team figure skating event, Rippon dropped by “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” Thursday for his first televised interview since returning to the U.S. from Pyeongchang, South Korea. He opened up to the host about his ongoing commitment to LGBTQ advocacy work as well as his new celebrity crush (it’s not who you think it is).
“When I was young, to have somebody out there that I could’ve looked up to ― it would’ve made a world of difference. It would’ve changed my life,” the Olympian said in the video above. He used his appearance on the show to announce his new GLAAD fundraising campaign in support of the organization’s LGBTQ youth programs.
“One in five kids today identify with some sort of LGBTQ identity,” he said. Addressing the crowd directly, he added, “So look to your left, look to your right, and if no one is gay, you’re probably the one.”
Rippon, who is currently single, also spoke at length about his love life. Though he’s crushed on Jake Gyllenhaal and Harry Styles, he prefers a different, albeit also multitalented, star these days. (Catch that segment below.)
“I was sleeping on Shawn Mendes ― not with, but on,” he quipped. “I didn’t realize how cute he was!”
As for his high-profile tiff with Vice President Mike Pence, Rippon said he “didn’t feel like [the Olympics were] the right time” for a call between the two.
“If I had the chance to have a call with him now ... I have nothing to say to Mike Pence. That’s not a conversation for me,” he said. “If that call were to happen, I would say, ’You know what? It’s not for me. It’s for those people [whose] lives have been affected and changed by legislation that he’s pushed.’ It’s a chance for them to share their stories and their experiences.”
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