Jason Collins made nationwide news when he came out as gay in an SI cover story, becoming the first NBA player to do so while still active and he surprised many in the sports world, including his ex-girlfriend and fiancé Carolyn Moos.
Collins revealed he was gay on Monday in a Sports Illustrated article, a reluctant pioneer who broke one of the last barriers of American sport.
He was given the presidential seal of approval when Barack Obama personally called to congratulate him, and also received overwhelming support from other professional athletes and celebrities from the entertainment world.
According to TMZ.com, Collins and Moos were engaged until they broke up in 2009 and Moos, who was a former WNBA player, told the website that she never once suspected he was gay. She said she was shocked by the news and that he told her about it over the weekend before making the announcement and that he previously broke up with her because of that.
Moos said she never understood why they broke up and that many of the reasons were "BS" and now it is clear why it happened. The two dated for seven years before getting engaged and then breaking up and now Moos has some more understanding about why.
"I care about [Jason] tremendously and only want the best for him. I want Jason to be happy for a lifetime and stay true to who he really is, inside and out," she said.