Kal Penn Comes Out as Gay, Announces Engagement to Partner of 11 Years

Kal Penn, an actor known for starring in the Harold & Kumar film franchise and who worked in the Obama administration, has come out as gay. The actor made the revelation in interviews surrounding the release of his tell-all memoir You Can't be Serious.

Penn has been in a relationship with his partner Josh for 11 years, according to People magazine. The couple celebrated their anniversary in October and are engaged. While Penn said he has let those in his life know about his relationship, he has never spoken about it to the general public. Penn told People that Josh doesn't "love attention" and shies away from the limelight.

Penn worked in the Obama administration for two years in addition to his career as an actor -- he worked on projects like House and Designated Survivor. On his first date with Josh, which came while he was working at the White House, the pair watched NASCAR and drank Coors Light. There are multiple paparazzi photos of the pair together, particularly at basketball games, but Josh was only credited as a guest.

"I discovered my own sexuality relatively late in life compared to many other people," Penn told People. "There's no timeline on this stuff. People figure their sh-- out at different times in their lives, so I'm glad I did when I did."

To promote the book, Penn also posted a series of photos on Instagram. "Kicking off book launch week on CBS Sunday morning today!" he wrote in a caption. "So excited to share my stories with you."

In one of the photos is Romen Borsellino, who he created the show Kal Penn Approves This Message with, reading beside an oversized dildo.

The dildo may have come from a hosting gig that Penn had. In 2019, he toured a sex toy production line in the Amazon docu-comedy series This Giant Beast That Is The Global Economy.

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