Jesse Tyler Ferguson's father found out he was gay at the age of 14 after he discovered his stash of gay porn.
The 'Modern Family' star, 38, was just a teenager when his dad Robert learned he was homosexual after he was caught stealing the explicit material from a shop.
Speaking on Aisha Tyler's podcast, 'Girl on Guy,' he said: "I was caught stealing gay porn when I was 14."
He added: "I had to go back [to the shop] and the woman asked me if I had anything in my backpack.
"She was giving me the benefit of the doubt ... she took me to the back room. They brought my dad in, and they showed him the nature of the material I was stealing, and it was really, really humiliating. So I always consider that my coming-out process."
However, Jesse's father still took a while to come to terms with his son's sexuality.
Jesse explained: "[He] was like, 'Okay, are you gay?' And I was, like, 14. I didn't really know. I didn't know what I was going through. But then in my later teen years I did come out to him, and it was like he needed to be told three times ...
"[When I was 21] he asked me if I had a girlfriend at the time, and I was like, 'Dad! You know I'm gay, right?' "
Jesse married his lawyer beau Justin Mikita in July last year in New York and his family - including Robert - were supportive of the couple's nuptials.

Gwyneth Paltrow celebrated her birthday with her estranged husband Chris Martin over the weekend.
The 'Iron Man 3' star marked her 42nd milestone with the Coldplay frontman, whom she spit from earlier this year following ten years of marriage, and their two children Apple, ten, and Moses, eight, in the back garden of her home in Brentwood, California.
A source told PEOPLE.com: "Gwyneth had a casual celebration during the day that Chris was a part of."
The celebrations carried on into the night as Kate Hudson, Matthew Bellamy and Nicole Richie joined the former couple for cocktails at the house.
However, one person notably missing from the birthday bash was Chris' rumoured girlfriend Jennifer Lawrence, whom he started dating in late June.
A source said previously of their blossoming romance: "It seems they are definitely getting more serious. Whenever Chris is not spending time with Apple and Moses at his Malibu house, Jen is there."
Jennifer, 24, and Chris, 37, are yet to speak about their new relationship but the 'Hunger Games' actress has been spotted at a number of Chris' gigs all across the world over the past three months.
However, friends don't think it'll be long before they will officially confirm their romance.
Jennifer split from her long-term boyfriend Nicholas Hoult earlier this year.

Christina Milian threw her boyfriend Lil Wayne a surprise birthday party last week.
The 33-year-old singer arranged a secret bash at the Malibu Rocky Oaks Estate Vineyards last Wednesday (24.09.14) so that her rapper beau could celebrate turning 32 in style and surrounded by his close friends.
However, the surprises didn't stop there as the brunette beauty also treated Lil Wayne - whose real name is Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. - to a custom-made white chocolate cake, which had been made in the shape of a skateboard and decorated by Platinum Event Decor.
Although, it appears most of the calorific treat ended up on the floor as the party broke out into a food fight.
Taking to her Twitter account the day after (25.09.14), Christina wrote: "Cake Fights Allllll Night.. Too much fun.. Happy Early Bday Boss 🙂 @LilTunechi #CakeDay Part 2 Best Time Ever (sic)."
Meanwhile, the couple first sparked speculation they were dating after they were pictured holding hands at the beginning of July and then again looking very cosy at the 2014 ESPY Awards in Los Angeles on July 16.
A source said at the time: "It is totally true. They are hooking up."
However, the rumours came as a shock to fans as Christina only split up with her fiancé Jas Prince just over a month before.
Christina also has a daughter, four-year-old Violet, with her ex-husband The Dream, whom she married in 2009 before splitting just two years later.
Wayne was previously married to Antonia Wright between 2004 and 2006, with whom he has a daughter, Reginae, and he also has three other children who were all born to different mothers.

Jessie J tells her parents about her sex life.
The 'Bang Bang' singer admits she's enjoying romancing different people at the moment but has told her mother Rose and father Stephen that her plans to have children will follow shortly.
Speaking in Britain's Cosmopolitan magazine, she said: "I'm 26 and I want to have kids in the next four to eight years - obviously not right now. But I'm not 16; I'm a woman and I live a 26-year-old woman's life: I have relationships and I have sex... and that's OK. My mum and dad know and it's cool. I'm growing up and I don't want to obscure any parts of me or take them away."
The brunette beauty recently relocated from London to Los Angeles to better her career and she hopes the US may be the place she finds her one true love.
She explained: "I'm still finding my feet in love. Maybe America is the place I'll meet the man of my dreams? My mum and dad have been together 36 years and they've shown me what real love is like. When you have that to look up to, you know you have to get it right. I like a guy who can make me laugh."
However, Jessie believes social media is to blame for the lack of romance nowadays and thinks there will be an incline in marriages if technology was taken away.
She said: "I think with Instagram and Twitter, romance has lost its way. It's all, 'Oh I've got this girl but I could have this one and I can contact her directly right this minute.' I think if we lost technology for a year there would be a lot more people getting married."

Walmart has claimed Tracy Morgan's life-threatening injuries were "caused" by his failure to wear a seatbelt on the day one of their drivers ploughed into his car.
The retail giant is being sued by the former '30 Rock' star, who suffered a broken femur, broken nose and broken ribs during the crash, after one of the company's trucks mowed into the limo bus he was travelling in on the New Jersey Turnpike in June.
However, the company responded today (29.09.14) with nine defences, including that Tracy's injuries "were caused, in whole or in part, by plaintiffs' failure to properly wear an appropriate available seatbelt restraint device," according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Tracy's lawyer filed a lawsuit in July, claiming Walmart is responsible because the truck driver Kevin Roper was allegedly fatigued when the accident occurred and that "Walmart knew or should have known" that he had been "awake for more than 24 consecutive hours."
The 45-year-old actor, who spent 10 days in a critical condition in hospital, was transferred to a rehab facility on June 20, but still "has a long way to go" before he fully recovers from the six-vehicle accident, which also killed his comedy writer friend James McNair.
Tracy's assistant, Jeffrey Millea, his wife Krista Millea and comedian Ardie Fuqua are also suing for negligence, and Krista is suing for loss of consortium.
The group are seeking compensatory and statutory damages, punitive damages, legal fees, as well as pre- and post judgment interest at a trial by jury.

Nicole Kidman is "heartbroken" over her father's death.
The 47-year-old actress feels devastated after her dad Dr. Anthony Kidman tragically died earlier this month, but she admits the support from her fans is helping her get through the grieving process as best as possible.
Taking to her Facebook account tonight (29.09.14), she and her husband Keith Urban released a joint statement, saying: "We would just like to thank everyone for their love and prayers over these past couple of weeks. We are all heartbroken but knowing we are in the hearts and thoughts of others is so comforting. Sending love, Nic and Keith xx (sic)."
Dr. Kidman, who comes from Australia, was laid to rest at St Francis Xavier Church in Lavender Bay, Sydney, where Nicole gave an emotional eulogy, in which she thanked her dad for being there at all times, including after her divorce from Tom Cruise in 2001.
She said: "He was the father that was on a plane, hours after I got divorced, to come and take care of me, staying with me for weeks for as long as I needed.
"He was also the father who would when I was crying always tell me 'Nicki, it's going to be OK'. He was the father that would come to the principal's office after I forged his signature because I was wagging ...
"He was a man that was always there for me, a thinker, my confidant, my friend and my protector."
Nicole and Keith's daughters, Sunday, six, and Faith, three, were also at the funeral, but Isabella, 21, and Conor, 19, her adopted kids with Tom, did not attend.
Dr. Kidman, 75, died in Singapore of an apparent heart attack while visiting his other daughter Andrea.

Holly Willoughby has given birth to a baby boy.
The 'This Morning' presenter, 33, and her husband Daniel Baldwin welcomed their third child into the world today (29.09.14) and have named him Chester William.
Taking to her Twitter account, Holly gushed: "I'm sooo happy to tell you all - we've just had a baby boy! Chester William Baldwin made a grand entrance at 8lbs 12. He's just perfect. (sic)."
The couple, who got married in 2007, announced they were expecting another child in March on her blog.
She wrote at the time: "Surprise Surprise (and it was a surprise!!) I'm really happy and excited to tell you that Dan and I are expecting baby number 3!! (sic)."
The announcement came just a few days after rumours began to swirl when Holly was pictured leaving the 'Celebrity Juice' studio hiding her stomach with an over-sized coat and long pink scarf.
However, the news didn't come as a complete shock as the blonde beauty said last year that she was "perennially broody" for another baby.
She said: "I would like another baby, so let's wait and see. I've always thought I'd have a big family so if I'm lucky enough to fall pregnant again, great.
"It's just a question of when and if it happens. You can't set aside time specially."
The loved-up duo also have five-year-old son Harry and three-year-old daughter Belle together.

Amanda Bynes was arrested for driving under the influence (DUI) yesterday morning (28.09.14). The 28-year-old actress, who sought treatment in rehab last year, was detained at 3am in San Fernando Valley after police discovered she was under the influ...

Avril Lavigne celebrated her 30th birthday without her husband Chad Kroeger on Saturday (27.09.14).
The 'Girlfriend' hitmaker and the Nickelback rocker, who got married 14 months ago, have fuelled more rumours their relationship is on rocks after the 39-year-old hunk was notably missing from his wife's party at the Belliagio Hotel in Las Vegas last weekend.
However, the blonde beauty, who was wearing a pink satin above-the-knee figure-hugging dress, didn't let her husband's absence get her down as she was full of smiles when she posed for pictures with her sister-in-law Amie Lavigne and best friend Caryn Albert.
Meanwhile, the couple, who tied the knot at Château de La Napoule in the South of France, sparked speculation last month that they were heading for a split after Avril was spotted without her diamond wedding ring and pear-shaped engagement ring.
A source said previously: "It's over. He has been going around Los Angeles and telling people that they're divorcing."
However, friends of the stunning star believe Chad, 39, is to blame for their alleged marriage issues because of his negative attitude.
The insider added: "Chad is just a complete jerk in the way he talks to her, and the way he talks to people in general. A lot of her friends don't like him."
The 'Complicated' singer was previously married to Sum 41 star Deryck Whibley, whom she split from in 2009 after three years of marriage.

Kim Kardashian West was allegedly almost attacked for a second time at the weekend.
The 33-year-old star's security team blocked Vitalii Sediuk, who tackled her at Paris Fashion Week last Thursday, from striking her again as she enjoyed dinner with her husband Kanye West at Hotel Costes.
The couple's bodyguards spotted the renowned prankster and immediately jumped into action by surrounding him and preventing him from entering the building until the pair had left, according to TMZ.com.
The 'Keeping Up With the Kardashians' star feared for her life as she arrived at the Balmain SS15 show in the French capital last week after the media personality, 25, pulled her backwards as she exited her car.
Kim was quickly grabbed by bodyguards, who shielded her from the attack, and ushered through the crowd and into the building in time for the show.
Vitalii - who has also accosted Bradley Cooper, Leonardo DiCaprio and Will Smith in the past - claimed he was more careful when he pulled out the prank on the brunette beauty and would have gone further if it had been her husband, whom she married in May.
He said after the attack: "If it was Kanye West, I would have done it like I did it with Bradley Cooper and Leonardo DiCaprio.
"But with Kim Kardashian, I was very cautious because I know she is a woman -- so I kind of hugged her legs."

Jason Derulo and Jordin Sparks split up over the intense pressure to get married.
The 'Talk Dirty' hitmaker recently called time on his relationship with the 'No Air' singer, 24, because they were continuously arguing over their conflicting views on how to take their romance to the next level.
Speaking in an interview with 'On Air with Ryan Seacrest' today (29.09.14), Jason said: "What happened... in a nutshell, there was a lot of tension in the relationship for a lot of different reasons...
"There was a lot of pressures of marriage. There was a lot of arguing and stuff like that that just weighed on our relationship over time. When you stop having more good times than bad bad times, it's time to call it quits. It becomes something that is unhealthy."
The 25-year-old hunk admits he wasn't ready to fully commit to the stunning star and she was getting frustrated with how their relationship was progressing.
He added: "We think it may have weighed on her more than it weighed on me. Yeah, she got frustrated a lot. She was in that frustrated space a lot and I think part of that was part of my problem."
Despite the tension in their relationship, Jason - who began dating Jordin in 2011 - insists they didn't end on bad terms but aren't talking to each other right now.
He said: "I wouldn't say [we're on] good terms. I'll be lying if I said that, but it's not a bad situation. There's no bad blood. We didn't end off on a weird way or a negative way. It's not like we're hitting each other up, like, 'Hey, what are you doing today?' "

Chris Brown allegedly shoved a woman after she attempted to kiss him at nightclub at the weekend.
The 'New Flame' singer was walking through the crowd at the Limelight Houston in Texas, where he was performing, with his girlfriend Karrueche Tran when an unidentified female appeared to lean in for a smooch.
However, rather than let security deal with the situation, the 25-year-old singer allegedly gave the girl a hard push out of the way, according to TMZ.com.
Meanwhile, the hunky star is determined to stay out of trouble after he was recently released from jail, where he served 108 days for violating his probation.
Chris, who was placed on probation for five years after he was found guilty of assaulting his ex-girlfriend Rihanna in 2009, has also tried to patch things up with the 'Rude Boy' hitmaker, 26, but insists they're not looking for a serious relationship any time soon.
He said recently: "We're friends. Nothing too serious... We're not trying to start a life together right now, we're just having fun."
However, it seems Chris' mother and model girlfriend don't agree with the star's choice of friends and are particularly concerned with his association with gangs.
The two women believe he is seriously "compromising his own safety" by appearing to promote Bloods in Los Angeles on social media and also worry he could ruin his career as he doesn't fully understand the implications of associating with the notorious group.