John Cena has been open about his brother Steve Cena’s sexuality. When WWE star Darren Young came out as gay in 2013, John Cena defended him to TMZ reporters who asked prying questions to Cena. He simply told them that he supported Young and added that his elder brother is also gay.

When asked about this encounter during an interview with Larry King, Cena shared that life outside the ring shouldn’t affect Young’s work in the ring. He further shared about people who couldn’t accept it as such, “It’s just downright ignorance.” He further opened up about his brother:

I have an older brother who’s gay. And I truly… He’s still my brother. Like that’s the thing. I had two choices. I can disown him as a human being for what he does or he can be my brother.

Cena shared that Steve came out to him before the WWE star turned 20, but promised him to keep it a secret. Cena stood by his brother and kept it a secret from his family for the next ten years. Cena shared that Steve was ready to let the family know only after these ten years. He shared:

He came out to me before I turned 20 years old. He asked me to keep it a secret and I did. I kept it a secret for quite a long time. Like probably another ten years until he was ready to let my family know.

Cena shared that Steve was met with a “little adversity” from their family. He shared, “It’s an old Italian family. You know, they’re stubborn old b*stards. I was there to support him every step of the way.” Eventually, the Cena family accepted Steve’s sexuality.

John Cena Got Into Fights Defending Steve Cena

Credits: WWE

Credits: WWE

During John Cena’s appearance on the Armchair Expert podcast in 2024, he talked about his childhood with host Dax Shepard. He recalled memories of his life with his brothers, especially sharing how he stepped into a protective role for his brother Steve Cena.

Cena recalled that his eldest brother was different from the others that often made his childhood challenging. He shared that his brother was “a true nerd”, adding that life was tough for his brother in high school. He shared, “Not only was he an introvert and interested in computers. He’s also gay.” He further shared about his brother’s difficult life:

And being gay in the 1980s in a small town in Massachusetts… man, that’s an uphill climb. He just had a lot of character traits that weren’t in the ‘cool kid’ group, and he’s also holding this secret that he can’t tell or talk to anybody about.

He shared that he inherited some of his brother’s social constructs, which got him to “learn how to lose a few fights.” He shared that he and his four brothers hung out as a group when they were younger. But as they got older and developed different friend groups, he made sure that his brother was safe from the tough life. He shared:

I took on the role of, ‘Hey, if you say something to the younger brothers, I will do my best to throw myself in harm’s way. It’s going to stop here.’

Steve is a voice and theater actor who has won two Theater Association of New York State Awards for his work. He is known for plays like Avenue Q, Bloody Island, and Return to Clark County. He started acting in the theater in 2004. He later landed voice-over work in 2009.

Steve Cena About His Dynamics With the Cena Family

John Cena in a still from Peacemaker Season 2 | Credits: HBO Max

During Steve Cena’s appearance on the I Played, Too podcast, he shared two of his favorite stories about his brother John Cena. He shared that he got to see him perform for the first time at the Blue Cross Arena, aka the War Memorial, in Rochester, New York.

He shared that Cena asked him to book a table for them to dine at the Dinosaur Barbecue. Steve got to the restaurant, sat down, and waited for the WWE star. He shared that when he looked out of the window, it was almost “like a scene out of Frankenstein.” He shared:

I could just see this crowd of people just walking up the street. And seeing like these cell phone flashes going off. I couldn’t quite figure out what was going on until I realized the whole staff is being followed up the street.

In another story about Cena, Steve shared that he took a group of friends to see the WWE star’s show. He shared that in the middle of the show, he was put on spotlight after Cena mentioned his brother and asked his fans to spend more time with their families. After Cena called the fans’ attention to him, he was escorted out of the arena by bodyguards.

When asked if he ever gets annoyed by being called John Cena’s brother, Steve shared, “There are sometimes where I do find it funny. It’s worse if it’s a professional situation and they’re not deliberately trying to do it and it just kind of happens.” He further shared that he didn’t get recognized as much as people would like to think. He shared about the bond he has with all his brothers:

As we’ve grown into adulthood, we’ve absolutely gotten much closer. I’m still kind of a quiet person; I still tend to keep to myself, but if I’m home visiting, we’ll go out to dinner. We’re very friendly with each other. It’s great seeing my family.

Steve and John Cena’s younger brothers are Dan, Matt, and Sean Cena. Dan is a police sergeant who appeared alongside Cena in a special episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show in 2019. Matt Cena supported his brother’s dream to become a WWE Superstar and is Cena’s biggest fan. The youngest Cena brother, Sean, was diagnosed with cancer in 2011. John admired his brother’s strength in the face of adversity.

What do you think of John Cena’s support for his gay brother? Let us know in the comments below!
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