The Upshaws star Jermelle Simon opens up about his coming out journey

Out: Coming out publicly is a powerful milestone. Was there a specific moment or experience that finally gave you the courage to share this part of yourself with the world, and why did it feel like the right time?

Jermelle Simon: It's funny, that morning I woke up and I was really heavy for some reason. I was doing my morning workout, and I couldn't really get into it. Two nights before, I had a conversation with my boyfriend [Obio Jones] about it. We were talking about taking risks and how, in life, if you don't take those chances, you end up stuck in a boring, mundane routine, just repeating more of the same, you know? I think subconsciously I just kept thinking about that. It had always been in the back of my mind that I wanted to. It was so much confusion for some people around my sexuality. I wasn't necessarily hiding, but I didn't say it. For a very long time, I hid behind my character. It had been years of suppression, years of hiding, you know? And over time, that weight just starts to take its toll on you.

What's so funny is I felt that feeling and I didn't even realize I was coming out on National Coming Out Day. I was on X/Twitter and I saw that National Coming out of Day was trending, and I was like, 'Ah, this is so of God — this is the moment.' I didn't envision ever doing it, especially on National Coming Out Day. I didn't want it to be cheesy like that, but it just kind of all aligned and it felt like intuitively it just felt right. I thought it was really important to say it, to just honor, like a past version of myself.

So much of my mind had been playing this character even outside of the show, like, trying to be this mysterious person like, or hiding behind my 'mystique.' It was weighing on my mental. I think there's so many things to navigate in life, and I think sexuality, especially when you're hiding it, can take up your entire life. I have a career, I'm a father, I'm in a relationship. I have so many responsibilities, and so many things to do. I needed to free up my mind.

Looking back at your journey, what's one piece of advice you would give your younger self during those moments of self-doubt or struggles with identity?

I would say do it afraid and lean into the thing that you fear. Leaning into that thing changed my entire life. If you're going to be afraid anyway, you might as well just do it. You're going to be afraid if you don't do it. You're going to be afraid if you do it. You might as well do the thing because you don't know what's on the other side of it.

Your rhythm of life that you have now, you already know the outcome of that because if you do the same thing, you produce the same thing. I think it wasn't until I shook some up in my hypnotic rhythm where I threw something different in there where it produced a different outcome. Take the risk and give yourself a chance. Do it afraid.

Tell us about Jrambo Bands! What has your business taught you about being an entrepreneur?

I learned how to fail publicly. I think a lot of people are afraid to, as my boyfriend would say, be afraid to be seen trying. I think that holds a lot of people back. It taught me that life has changed.

The way I was promoting the bands in the beginning and two years ago will not work now – it really taught me change. It taught me how to pivot and how to be a boss like I was, even though I am. It taught me the importance of autonomy. I'm going to rebrand and strategize. I can do that because I'm the CEO of it and it just is addicting. I want to start and build more businesses. It has also given me discipline.

Fitness is clearly a huge part of your life. How has taking care of your body shaped your sense of self and confidence, both on screen and off?

I was an athlete growing up, but I didn't take working out seriously. I played football for a couple of years. The cool kids were playing football, so I was playing football, and that's why I played football. I had always been an actor and always wanted to act and I wanted to give myself a shot, like, I wanted to be a leading man. I wondered to myself, 'What does a leading man have? They always take care of their temples and have nice bodies.'

I just wanted to be ahead of the competition in the beginning. I said, when I turned 25, I'm gonna be in the best shape of my life and I want to be the lead in films which is what drove me to fitness. I felt good about myself. I gained this amount of confidence that I've never had before, and I just kept going with that.

I think once you realize how good you can feel, you never really know how good you can feel until you start feeling good, until you start eating right, until you start putting yourself first, you start just taking care of your body. I don't think there's anything more important than feeling good because you can have all the money in the world, you can have the career you want, but if you don't feel good in your body, what is it worth?

What's it like to have your boyfriend now and can you describe the feeling you get in this relationship?

I found the perfect boyfriend. I found someone who I have a friendship, a best friend foundation with, and a love I've never felt before. Someone who challenged me in the ways I need to be challenged. Someone who literally lights up my entire world. I lucked up. I kind of skipped the line a little bit and I found the perfect guy.

The Upshaws is streaming on Netflix.