DJ Qualls Thanks Fans For 'Kind Words' and Support After Coming Out

DJ Qualls is showing his appreciation for his fans who shared their support after he came out as gay.

The actor, 41, took to Twitter Wednesday to thank his fans for their "kind words" and opened up about how hiding his sexuality for so many years had affected him.

"Thank you for the messages of support. I haven't read many of them, but what I've seen has been overwhelming positive," Qualls wrote in a statement on Twitter. "A while back I realized I wasn't open about myself because of shame. That realization was a big disappointment and, over time, was eroding my self respect."

"A few things have happened in the last year that cumulated in my not very eloquent tweet late Friday night," he added. "I knew I had to say it out loud and be done with it."

"I understand that if you haven't been in this position, this seems like a molehill into the mountain stuff, but for me it's laying down something heavy I've been carrying my whole life. So, thank you again for the kind words," Qualls concluded, before ending with a joke. "I'm not ready to meet your cousin, Kevin, although I'm sure he's a nice guy."

Alongside the message, Qualls wrote, "I can't think of a caption."

On Friday night, the "Supernatural" star revealed to his followers that he had come out as gay while appearing on Comedy Central's "The Jim Jeffries Show."

"It is 11:20pm. I just came out on stage at a @jimjefferies show in San Diego," he tweeted. "Yep, I'm gay. Been gay this whole time. Tired of worrying about what people would think of me. Tired of worrying about what it would do to my career."

Qualls, whose career has spanned over 20 years, has starred in films such as "Road Trip," "Hustle & Flow" and "Delta Farce." He has also appeared on numerous TV shows like "Supernatural," "The Man in the High Castle" and "Z Nation."

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