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WWE Legend Pat Patterson Comes Out After 50 Years In The Closet: WATCH

Wrestling Hall of Famer Pat Patterson spent the majority of his life in the closet, now at age 73, the WWE exec has drop-kicked that door to the ground. On the season finale of the WWE reality series, Legends House, Patterson emotionally came out to his fellow wrestling icons.

"Sitting here tonight, I'm going to say something that I would never want to say publicly," Patterson begins. "But being here with you guys, for once in my life, I'm going to be me now. I survived all this being gay."

Though this may be Patterson's first public admission of his homosexuality, it comes after a very long and winding road.

Credited as the WWE's first International Champion, the Canadian wrestler debuted in 1958 in Montreal, interestingly enough, as Pretty Boy Pat Patterson -- according to Wikipedia, "an effeminate wrestler who wore red lipstick and pink trunks and was accompanied by his pet Poodle."

Then in 1992, Patterson resigned from the WWE over alleged homosexual harassment of a ring boy, though he was rehired a few months later. In a 2010 Politico article that dug up that case during WWE chief executive Linda McMahon's run for Senate, Patterson was referred to as a "gay man."

Patterson also revealed that he had a partner for 40 of those 50 years, whom he lost to a heart attack. "It's tough guys, it was tough," Patterson says, tearing up. Soon everyone's emotions were in a headlock as Patterson's legendary housemates started bawling as they expressed their love and support.

The WWE is generally known as an accepting and tolerant company, as proven by the near universal support Darren Young received when he became the first active openly gay wrestler in WWE history.

Related: WWE Pro-Wrestlers Team Up With “NOH8″

Later, Patterson explained why he decided to come out now, after all these years: "I gave my life to the business, I don't regret nothing. For the rest of my life, I want to be happy." Check out the emotional moment below:

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