My Mum, Your Dad Australia 2022’s Mel Gousteris has opened up about her son Sam‘s childhood, admitting he was bullied for being “Greek, gay and overweight”.
During the November 21 episode, Mel admitted that Sam had it “pretty tough”, while talking to her fellow cast members.
Now, in an interview with So Dramatic!, the 56-year-old admitted she felt she had to “protect” her son.
“It’s your kid, doesn’t matter who he is,” Mel said. “When it’s your child, you’ll do anything to protect them because he had it pretty hard being Greek, gay and overweight. He was teased every day at school.
“No mum wants to see that happen to their kids. You don’t even want that in your house, and I think that’s why I needed to separate from my husband was to protect me and Sam in my marriage.”
My Mum Your Dad’s Sam Gousteris Admitted That His Dad was Not Accepting of His Sexuality at First
When asked if his father accepted Sam’s sexuality, he admitted that he wasn’t initially open to it.
“For my dad, it was a long journey for him to accept that,” he said. “He’s very tolerant now, and he doesn’t make any comments, which is good. We’re in a place now where it’s a lot better.
“Initially, some dads do take a while, and when they get over it, they realise, ‘No, it’s not just a phase, Dad. I do like d*ck’.”
“If you’re not your child’s number one support, are you really a parent?” he added.
“You see all of these horror stories online and like, parents disowning them based on religion, but at the end of the day, your child is your child.”
Both Sam and Mel Gousteris Said Their “Culture” Affected His Coming Out Story
Sam believes that his Greek culture affected how his coming out story played out.
“I think in this culture [Greek/European], everybody talks. They are looking and saying, ‘Ah!’. Even us being on the show was a topic to talk about because they are so invested in everyone else’s lives.
“My mum was doing the rounds of my High School, having a go at my coordinators and telling them [off] with the guy [that bullied him],” he said. “My mum’s always been there for me, and I know she would never end up with someone that’s homophobic.”
“They can be very judgy, very ethnic — the old school mentality,” Mel added. “For me, it was like, I needed to protect him. He was my number one priority, and I’m not going to let anyone hurt him!”
As for the community who judged their appearance on the show?
“If anything, it has highlighted the positive people in our lives,” Sam said. “Like the trash took itself out. I feel the true colours really show when you do something like this.”
For more, click here to read our chat with Mel and why she really left My Mum, Your Dad.
Want even more goss? Listen to episode 230 of the So Dramatic! podcast with Megan Pustetto below!
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