![\"Where](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/wtgh-suicide-helplines-depression-youthline-lifeline-I5DOADOHVVGTDEXRSRGY76D35Y.png\")
<\/p>\nFormer Warriors player Kane Evans has come out as gay in an emotional interview where he also detailed his battles with alcohol and drug addiction, and experiences of homelessness. <\/p>\n
Evans, 34, spoke openly to Nine’s 100% Footy show.<\/p>\n
“I had three goals in life: to play NRL, to buy my parents a house, and then I wanted to top myself,” Evans said.<\/p>\n
“Because I was living in denial, from a young age I know that I’m gay but I went down every other avenue to build up these walls to be someone to escape who I am.<\/p>\n
“I still can\u2019t believe I’m here talking to you, this is definitely my worst nightmare, but I know if I surrender, it\u2019s the start to a new life. I’ve been fighting a war within since I was about 15 years old, and it’s not sustainable.<\/p>\n
“I was sleeping in parks, doing drugs, trying to ultimately pass away so I didn\u2019t have to come to this. But I know there are people struggling with the same struggle I’ve gone through, so I’m very blessed that I can come here and talk to you and be able to save a life or two.” <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Where to get help. (Source: 1News)<\/p>\n
He said he had been subject to blackmail in the past, which brought “shame and fear”, but said “they’ve lost the power” now that he’s gone public.<\/p>\n
“Coming and just speaking today, fear shame and guilt, I’ve cut ties with all that, and I feel peace within, and I feel a weight has lifted off my shoulders.”<\/p>\n
Evans also played for the Roosters, Eels and Fiji, as well as in the UK Super League.<\/p>\n
His contract with Hull was ended early, and when he returned to Australia he got into debt over a failed business venture.<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
Kane Evans (Source: Nine)<\/p>\n
“I started going down a slippery slope. Started numbing myself with alcohol and drugs,” he said.<\/p>\n
“Looking back now I realise there were deeper things I was masking, and I was just using every outlet I could until the point where I was couch-surfing and became homeless.”<\/p>\n
It was linking up with Joe Galuvao of the Rugby League Players Association that saw him enter rehab, and he also found support from his former Roosters coach Trent Robinson.<\/p>\n
Evans was now over four months sober, and was going to come out to his parents, including his ill mother, before the interview went to air.<\/p>\n
“I love my mum and dad so much and they know but I need to tell them, it has to come from my mouth,” he said.<\/p>\n
The morning’s headlines in 90 seconds, including warnings about powerful waves, and a former Warrior comes out. (Source: Breakfast)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Former Warriors player Kane Evans has come out as gay in an emotional interview where he also detailed…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":467447,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[85,42,64776,43,577,479,550,40,38,41,39,3006],"class_list":["post-467446","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-headlines","tag-australia","tag-headlines","tag-lgbttqia","tag-news","tag-nrl","tag-relationships","tag-social-issues","tag-top-news","tag-top-stories","tag-topnews","tag-topstories","tag-warriors"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/467446","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=467446"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/467446\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/467447"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=467446"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=467446"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=467446"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}