{alltv} Osmond: My son was not gay

Marie Osmond has hit out at reports her son committed suicide because he was struggling to deal with his sexuality, insisting he was not gay.

The veteran entertainer fought back tears as she poured out her emotions about 18-year-old Michael Bryan's tragic death in February during an interview with TV talk show queen Oprah Winfrey, which aired in the U.S. on Thursday.

She recalled the last phone conversation she had with Michael before he jumped to his death from the balcony of his Los Angeles apartment, saying, "(He told me) 'I have no friends.' ...I said, 'Mike, I'm gonna be there Monday and it's gonna be OK.' But depression doesn't wait 'til Monday."

Osmond shot down claims the teenager was troubled because he was wrestling with the conflicts between his Mormon religion and his alleged homosexuality.

She said, "My son was not gay. He wanted to be married and have a family and travel all over the world. And it wouldn't matter if he was - I have a daughter who's gay. She was the most offended by (the rumours). (The claims imply that) everyone who's gay commits suicide."

Osmond also denied reports Michael, who had been in and out of drug rehab since the age of 12, had been under the influence when he took his own life: "My son was clean when he jumped. There were no drugs in his system, but I believe the ramifications were there."

The singer revealed Michael had attempted to commit suicide before - during her 2007 stint on U.S. reality show Dancing With The Stars, and she is convinced he was just deeply confused when he jumped.

She added, "He promised he would never do anything like that again and I believed him. Whatever his reality was, I do believe that there are moments when you slip into insanity and you no longer think rationally. I believe that's what happened."

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