

Jesus is gay. Portrayed by Tom Payne, 34, the long-haired Hilltop resident nonchalantly revealed that he is a gay man while talking to Maggie (Lauren Cohan) during the March 19 episode. This is a nod to the comics, in which his character, also known by the full name Paul Monroe, is also gay. Amazing!
“For the first time I feel like I belong. Trying to make sure you and Sasha became a part of this made me a part of this. When I was first here, I was never here. I, um, always found it hard getting close to anyone. Neighbors, friends… boyfriends,” Jesus tells Maggie, looking over at her with a shy smile. Maggie smiles back and nods, then encourages him to “try it sometime.”
HollywoodLife.com talked to Tom at The Walking Dead’s PaleyFest LA event on March 17 about this huge moment for his character. “I loved how that was handled in the show, and it struck me that I don’t know when the last time he shared that information with anyone was, so that shows a really nice relationship with Maggie,” Tom said in a group interview. “It’s just a small scene. I loved how in that small scene with those two, he spoke about being in a group home and he spoke about having boyfriends and revealed a lot about himself in a short amount of time.”
Could Jesus be headed for a romance? “I think there’s always a chance,” he continued. “There’s love around every corner. I mean, who thought Richonne was going to happen?” Now that Jesus is officially out, it would be pretty amazing to see him fall in love with someone — especially if it were with another character on the show we don’t 100% know the sexuality of. In all honesty, it’s just really great to see yet another gay character on such a popular show. As fans already know, the series also has Tara (Alanna Masterson) who is a lesbian.
The Walking Dead might just be the most diverse show on television today. Along with their openly gay characters, there are also all sorts of nationalities among the cast. From their super strong women characters, to lots of black men and women, as well as the featured Asian and Spanish cast members. Other television should take note and also work hard to represent how diverse the world really is in 2017!
Tell us, HollywoodLifers — What do YOU think about Jesus being gay on The Walking Dead? Who would YOU like to see him hook up with? Comment below!