Gay MasterChef star Reece Hignell defends Reynold Poernomo after his shocking homophobic past was exposed – and insists the dessert king is ‘different now’
Openly gay MasterChef contestant Reece Hignell has defended his embattled co-star Reynold Poernomo, whose homophobic Internet posts resurfaced last month.
On May 29, Daily Mail Australia revealed that Reynold, 26, had previously said gay people should be ‘captured and put on an island’ on bodybuilding.com forums back in 2014.
Speaking to The Daily Telegraph on Friday, Reece said: ‘I trust when Reynold says he is different now. I am friends with him and know him and I believe what he said when he apologised.’
‘He is different now’: Gay MasterChef contestant Reece Hignell (pictured) has defended his embattled co-star Reynold Poernomo, whose homophobic forum posts resurfaced last month
‘If you aren’t able to develop as a person, how will equality ever happen? My personal belief is that if Reynold wasn’t able to change his opinion over the last six years, then how are we going to change the world,’ he added.
Several other gay MasterChef cast members appear to be standing by the ‘dessert king’ despite his past homophobia.
Reynold’s co-stars Khanh Ong, Brendan Pang and Courtney Roulston all continued to follow him on Instagram after his shocking comments were revealed.
Supportive: Reece said he trusts ‘when Reynold says he is different now’. Pictured: Reynold Poernomo on MasterChef: Back to Win
Last month it was revealed that Reynold – using the profile name ‘reyreyy’ – had posted a shocking comment in a bodybuilding.com thread from 2014 titled ‘First gay couple featured on the Disney Channel. Do you agree with them?’
The then 20-year-old wrote: ‘I wish the world made a united decision where they will capture all gay people and put them on a remote island full of gays, that way straight [people] will be happy and the freaks can go on and f**k themselves.’
That comment was followed by another on a thread titled: ‘Is homosexuality a mental illness?’
‘Yes end of thread,’ Reynold responded.
Shocking: Last month it was revealed that Reynold shared a comment in a bodybuilding.com thread from 2014 titled ‘First gay couple featured on the Disney Channel. Do you agree with them?’ He said called gay people ‘freaks’ and said they should all be put on a ‘remote island’
Reynold has apologised for the comments. In a statement to Daily Mail Australia, he said he was now ‘deeply ashamed’ of his remarks.
‘I would like to offer my sincere and deepest apologies for the comments that I made in 2014. I am ashamed of these comments and I regret them immensely,’ he said.
‘At the time these comments were made, I was a very immature, close-minded and insular 20-year-old. I have grown and matured a lot in the last six years. I am not the person I was back then.
‘I have many friends and colleagues that are part of the LGBTIQ+ community. I wholeheartedly support them and care deeply for them. I am truly sorry and apologise for any offence or hurt I caused.’
‘I was a very immature, close-minded and insular 20-year-old’: Reynold has apologised for the comments, telling Daily Mail Australia he was ‘deeply ashamed’ of the person he used to be