Kal Penn comes out as Gay in his Memoir

In his new memoir, Kal Penn has revealed that he is gay and is engaged to his partner, Josh, who he has been with for more than 11 years.

In the book, titled You Can’t Be Serious, the 44-year-old actor detailed how he met Josh.

However, he admits that his partner prefers to stay away from the limelight.

Kal shared how his relationship came to be, starting with a first date that included an 18-pack of beer.

He writes in the book:

“I thought, ‘This obviously is not going to work out’.

“I have one day off from The White House and this dude is unironically watching cars go around and make left turns?

“Next thing you know, it’s been a couple months and we’re watching NASCAR every Sunday.”

Although Kal writes about personal details, he explained that his partner and family members are private, so he protects their identities.

Kal told People: “I’ve always been very public with everybody I’ve personally interacted with.

“Whether it’s somebody that I meet at a bar, if Josh and I are out or we’re talking to friends.

“I’m really excited to share our relationship with readers. But Josh, my partner, my parents, and my brother, four people who I’m closest to in the family, are fairly quiet.

“They don’t love attention and shy away from the limelight.”

Kal Penn explained that he feels “very fortunate” that his family and friends have been supportive of his relationship.

“I shared things with my parents and close friends first.

“I know this sounds jokey, but it’s true: When you’ve already told your Indian parents and the South Asian community that you intend to be an actor for a living, really any conversations that come after that are super easy.

“They’re just like, ‘Yeah, okay’. I felt very supported by everyone. That’s a wonderful thing. I know everybody has different experiences with that and so I definitely feel very fortunate.

“I discovered my own sexuality relatively late in life compared to many other people.”

“There’s no timeline on this stuff. People figure their s*** out at different times in their lives, so I’m glad I did when I did.”

Kal Penn is currently promoting his book, which launches on November 2, 2021. He is also trying to plan his wedding.

He added: “I really hope that people enjoy the book. I hope it makes people laugh and smile.

“Obviously I am engaged to a man and our families will be there for the wedding.

“The big disagreement now is whether it’s a huge wedding or a tiny wedding. I want the big ass Indian wedding. Josh hates attention, [has said], ‘Or we could just do quick 20-minute thing with our families and that’s it’.

“So we have to meet halfway in the middle.”

Kal Penn is known for starring in the Harold & Kumar comedy franchise.

The actor was also the Principal Associate Director in the White House Office of Public Engagement, as part of the Obama administration in 2009.