Kailyn Lowry and Jo Rivera are standing by their son Elliot during this personal journey of self-discovery. The 15-year-old, who once went by Isaac but decided that Elliot, his middle name, resonated more deeply with his identity, recently came out as gay in a two-part series on Kailyn's "Barely Famous" podcast. Following this brave revelation, Kailyn and Jo engaged in a heartfelt and supportive conversation.
"He mentioned that he had listened to the episodes," Kailyn elaborated to Parade in an interview released on June 18. "He was immensely proud of Elliot and expressed his happiness."
Kailyn, who is also the mother of Lincoln, 11, with her ex Javi Marroquin, and Lux, 7, and Creed, 4, with her ex Chris Lopez, as well as Rio, 2, and twins Verse and Valley, aged 20 months, with her fiancé Elijah Scott, noted that Jo was particularly supportive of Elliot's choice to share his story on her podcast.
"He had no issues with the questions posed," the 33-year-old clarified, referring to her son's appearance on the podcast. "He comprehended why Elliot wanted to do it."
Meanwhile, Kailyn shared that Elliot felt a profound "sense of relief" after the episodes, released on June 6 and June 10, had aired, yet he was content with his decision.
"He said, 'I just want to help one person,'" Kailyn recounted. "'If I can do that, then I've accomplished what I set out to do.'"
While Elliot's decision to come out was sparked by the leakage of photos of him and his prom date online, he chose to address the matter publicly to establish a clear boundary between his public and private life.
"It's incredibly important to me because, growing up in the public eye, it's challenging to show your true self when cameras are constantly in your face," he emphasized during the June 6 episode of "Barely Famous." "It's harder to be authentic and feel comfortable knowing that everything will be scrutinized."
As for Kailyn's feelings towards her son's coming out, she emphasized that it was not her concern.
"It only matters how it affects you and whom you love," Kailyn assured her son during the episode. "Ultimately, I won't sever my bond with my child based on who they love or don't love."
