Kailyn Lowry’s Son Elliott Claims ‘Ex-Friend’ Outed Him to Classmates, Shares Family’s Reaction

During Part 2 of Kailyn’s conversation with Elliott on her Barely Famous podcast, the 15-year-old revealed that his “ex-friend” was the first person he told was gay, claiming he then outed him to their entire class.

“Your private life coming out was robbed from you, and then your public coming out was also robbed from you,” Kailyn said, referring to how her son’s sexuality was “leaked” online before he could address it publicly.

Elliott agreed with his mom, before then sharing that he first came out to a then-friend way back in the fifth grade.

“The first person I told was an ex-friend of mine, and he did not take it well,” he recalled. “I told him, and he went to our whole class and told everyone. This was in fifth grade, mind you.”

“From me, as a fifth grader, it hurt me, because I built up the courage to tell you something, and you took it and kind of ruined that for me,” he added.

While Elliott and Kailyn acknowledged that the boy was so young that he maybe “didn’t understand the capacity” of someone coming out to him.

“Nobody has that maturity level at that age,” Elliot said, “For me to realize it at that time, it’s hard to kind of find the people that understand.”

“I think that was the hardest part,” he added.

Elliott then recalled how he wrote a letter to his ex-friend at the time — and it didn’t go unnoticed by his teacher.

“I wrote him a little letter out of anger … and my substitute teacher was reading the note as I was writing it, and pulled me to the side, and was like, ‘Why are you writing this? Who are you writing this to?'”

He said it became a “whole situation,” and they had to go speak to the guidance counselor. The incident ultimately led to his mom and his dad, Jo Rivera, finding out.

“Jo went and picked up Isaac from school, and called me and told me about the note, and you were in the back seat,” Kailyn told Elliott, “and your dad sent me a photo of the note, and I laughed. I thought it was funny.”

Elliott laughed at the memory, before Kailyn revealed what her then-fifth-grade son shared in the letter. “I was like, ‘He should suck a d–k,'” the reality star said, again noting that she found the entire situation to be “funny.”

“I also already knew you were gay, so I didn’t give a f–k,'” she continued. “I was just like, ‘How dare him.’ Obviously, I was upset that a kid did that to you, but obviously, now, I’m like, ‘Well, he was in fifth grade. Kids don’t understand the weight of what they’re doing.'”

The mom of seven admitted that she was “upset” at the time because Elliott with his dad right after it happened, and she wasn’t with him.

“I would imagine that that was probably a time where you felt sort of lost and didn’t really know where to go because you didn’t know, ‘Am I getting in trouble for the note? Am I gay? Am I not gay? Do I have the support of my dad? And now my dad has to tell my mom, is my mom going to react the same way?'” Kailyn said.

“So it was probably a very confusing, emotionally charged time,” she continued, adding, “I think you were looking for validation and to know that everything was going to be okay, and I don’t necessarily feel like you got that.”

“I didn’t,” Elliott confirmed, telling his mom, “but it wasn’t your fault.”

He shared that much of his anxiety came from knowing the incident happened at the end of the school year, and he wasn’t sure “what to expect” when school started again.

“I was just so terrified to see what that looked like,” Elliott said.

Unfortunately, the teen said that sixth grade turned out to be the “worst year” for him.

“[I] did not have any real friends,” he said, before noting that while his coming out “maybe” played a part in that, he felt that he “didn’t have a place” in school. “I didn’t really know myself, so it was hard to fit in with a group of people, so I think that also ties in with it,” Elliott added.

Elliott and Kailyn went on to share how other relatives reacted to his coming out, including his grandmother.

“I love my grandma to death … but I didn’t love how she kind of brought religion into it,” Elliott recalled of his grandmother’s reaction. “It was just very odd to me.”

He said his grandma asked him about his “beliefs,” to which he said that he isn’t “really spiritual,” yet she “brought God into the situation.”

“I just thought it wasn’t necessary and wasn’t related,” Elliott said. “She also kind of mentioned … I shouldn’t tell people that I’m gay because I don’t know who I am yet.”

“She said it very subtly. Like, it wasn’t direct, but that’s what she said,” he added.

When Kaitlyn asked if he had to “create a new relationship” with his grandmother, Elliott said, “Kind of. I think it was just kind of a setback.”

While at the time he felt that he “wouldn’t talk” to his grandma about his sexuality, now that he’s older, he believes their communication can be more open.

“I’m still gay,” he said, to which Kailyn laughed. “I think she realizes now that I am who I am, and that’s not gonna change. So I think it’s okay now. She won’t do that anymore. But, I think at the time, it was just hard for her. She didn’t know how to approach it.”

However, Elliott said it was “very awkward” before his grandmother “could come to terms” with his sexuality. “I think it just needed time,” he added.

The episode ended with Elliott expressing his gratitude toward Kailyn for his support.

“Don’t cry, please,” he prefaced, appearing to get choked up himself, before telling his mom. “I just want you to know, and I don’t want you to ever doubt that, as much as you love me unconditionally, I love you unconditionally.”

“You have been my guiding star through this whole thing, throughout my whole life even, and I am forever grateful for you. And I can’t see another world without you,” Elliott continued.

The two continued to cry and laugh, with Elliott jokingly telling his mom, “I’m going to text you when you’re dead.”

On a serious note, Kailyn sweetly assured her son that he doesn’t have to thank her for anything.

“I love you unconditionally because that is my job,” she said, to which Elliott noted that his mom takes the “extra step.”

“You make me feel better about myself, and who I am,” he said.

In the first part of the conversation, which was released last Friday, Elliott came out and announced that he had changed his name from Issac to Elliott, which was his middle name.

“Happy Pride, everybody! I’m very nervous for this episode,” he began. “I’m here today to show you who I am, not who you saw on TV for 12 years of my life.”

“It’s very important to me because I feel like growing up on TV, it’s hard to show who you really are when a camera is in front of you all the time. It’s almost like you have a TV face. It’s harder to be yourself and to be more comfortable,” the teen shared.

“I want to be clear that this is for me. Let me have my moment. I’m really sick of people coming up with their own stories and putting things in their own words and things coming out on other people’s terms about me,” he added, “because my life isn’t entertainment for other people.”

In addition to Elliott, Kailyn also shares son Lincoln, 11, with ex Javi Marroquin; sons Lux, 7, and Creed, 4, with ex Chris Lopez; and son Rio, 2, and twins Verse and Valley, whom she welcomed in late 2023, with fiancé Elijah Scott.