The dad of the man who claimed prescription painkillers 'made him gay' has said his son was always interested in men.
Twenty-three-year-old Scott Purdy hit headlines this week when he said he started to develop an attraction to men after taking painkiller Pregabalin.
He said that just days after taking the drug he begun to have a desire to sleep with men and went on to end his relationship with his girlfriend.
Advert
Now his dad Nigel has told the Daily Mail that his son was always bisexual and that he had been 'living a lie'.
Nigel, who is no longer on good terms with his son, told the news outlet that Scott had 'experimented' with men during his teenage years.
He told the Mail: "I know my son and we have always just assumed he was bisexual, as it turns out he is gay. It's just the way he was, even when he was younger."
Scott's step mum Gail told the news outlet that she was aware of at least one man he had slept with while he was 17.
When appearing on This Morning this week, Scott said: "I noticed my libido for women had gone and I was wanting male attention.
"I was with a girlfriend I had been with for around six months.
"I had never been interested in men. When I was younger I was a little bit curious, but a couple of weeks after I started taking it I turned around and said I didn't find her physically attractive anymore."
However, he was quickly shot down by This Morning resident doctor Ranj.
When asked by Phillip Schofield if it was possible that the painkiller had 'turned' him gay, Dr Ranj replied: "In simple terms, no."
He added: "What it probably does, is allow you to express whatever was already there. All it has done is allowed you to be your true self."
Scott has also vowed to stay on the painkillers, as they make him happy.
He said: "It took me a while to realise what it was. I stopped taking it for a few weeks and that desire for men just left.
"But I'm on it now; I'm very happy. I want to keep on taking it because it makes me feel happy about my sexuality. It's made me feel very open. It's liberating.
"Pregabalin is also used to control paranoia and anxiety. It's made me so open and not bothered what people think or say."
Advert
Source: Daily Mail
Featured Image Credit: SWNSTopics: UK News