Gio Benitez, Tommy DiDario. Photo: Instagram
Gio Benitez, the widely recognized co-host of Good Morning America Weekend and ABC News Transportation Correspondent, sat down with his husband, Tommy DiDario, on the latter’s “I Never Said This Before” podcast for a deeply personal and unfiltered conversation about navigating his public life as a gay man.
Benitez, who is celebrating nearly a decade of marriage with DiDario, revealed the tremendous weight of secrecy he carried for years and the intense professional anxieties he faced while pursuing his dream career in mainstream news.
In the emotional conversation, Benitez reflected on his younger years and the internal struggle that defined his early career trajectory:
“Growing up gay and keeping that a secret was something that I didn’t talk to anyone about really till I was 24 years old… You worry, ‘Will that hold me back?'”
He mused that the societal message he received during his formative years strongly implied that being openly queer would be a barrier to success in television news, noting the lack of openly gay role models in the industry at the time.
When asked by DiDario what he would tell his younger, closeted self, Benitez offered a simple, powerful, and healing message:
“It’s all going to be OK. You think about all the worries you have growing up… You spend so much time in your head thinking about that.”
He emphasized that the journey to living authentically is an ongoing process that involves listening to and comforting that “little kid inside” who carried the early fears and doubts.
The rare interview marks the first long-form podcast appearance for Benitez, offering a powerful look beyond his polished television persona into the personal struggles that shaped his path to becoming one of the most visible Cuban-American gay men in national news.
