Man Is Harassed in High School for Being Gay. 20 Years Later, He Has a Shocking Interaction with His Bully

Two decades after enduring relentless bullying in high school for being gay, Misha Brown received a message that stopped him in his tracks — and offered something he never expected: closure.

In July 2025, Brown, now 37 and a prominent influencer and podcast host, was contacted by a former classmate who had once tormented him. But this wasn’t just an apology — it was a reckoning. The man’s teenage son had recently come out as gay, forcing him to confront his past behavior and the harm he’d caused.

“When I saw his name pop up, I froze,” Brown tells PEOPLE. “There was no reason I could think of for him to reach out. But I opened the message anyway.”

What he found was a sincere expression of remorse. The man admitted that when his son came out, his first thought was, “I hope my son is treated better than I treated Misha.”

Growing up in a small town in western New York, Brown was a vibrant, expressive kid who loved singing Whitney Houston and playing with Polly Pockets — which made him a target. The bullying he faced for being different shaped much of his early life.

“I questioned everything about myself,” he says. “How I walked, how I spoke, whether I was being too much. It was like I was always performing — trying to be acceptable.”

But in the years since, Brown has built a powerful career across theater, digital media, and podcasting. He’s the host of Wondery’s The Big Flop and boasts nearly 4 million followers across platforms. Parents often tell him they share his content with their queer children, hoping to offer them strength and hope.

“My platform has become a place where people feel seen,” he explains. “I want to be that voice I never had growing up.”

Brown’s upcoming book, Be Your Own Bestie, due out in February 2026, chronicles his journey to self-acceptance — a journey that came full circle with this message from his former bully.

“This wasn’t the first apology I’ve received,” Brown says. “But this one hit different. This was the kid who made my life hell.”

Though some followers online felt the apology didn’t go far enough — and that only having a gay child sparked his change of heart — Brown chose empathy.

“I cried reading his message,” he admits. “I cried for the little boy who begged not to be gay. I cried for his son, who has a dad that loves him. And I cried because part of me still wants to believe people can change.”

Brown responded with gratitude, telling the man his words did help heal some of the pain — and that his love for his son did count for something.

“I told him I appreciated the apology more than he could know. Because it meant something to 15-year-old me, too.”

The video where Brown shared the moment has since gone viral, racking up over 2.4 million views on TikTok and prompting an outpouring of support and shared stories.

Reflecting on the experience, Brown says the moment reminded him that healing isn’t always linear, but it’s possible.

“So many people walk through life carrying trauma like mine,” he says. “We can’t wait for apologies. We have to choose to live freely anyway. But when they come? They matter.”

“And I’m just grateful I was in a place to receive it.”