Eugene Lee Yang’s Boyfriend: The Actor Kept His Relationship with Matthew McLean Secret for Years

Eugene Lee Yang and his boyfriend, Matthew McLean, had been together for nearly a decade when they finally went public with their relationship. Shortly before then, Lee Yang had come out as a gay man.

In the middle of 2019’s Pride Month, Eugene Lee Yang published a video titled “I’m Gay” on YouTube. It began with an up-close shot of Lee Yang and slowly zoomed out to reveal a conservatively dressed Asian family surrounding the actor.

He stood out, wearing glamorous make-up and a flowy red satin dress. The music started, and the ensemble began a contemporary dance sequence that appeared to chronicle Lee Yang’s coming-out journey.

The video, written, directed, and choreographed by Lee Yang, had reached over 20.8 million views at the time of writing. It was a deeply personal production, as Lee Yang bore his truth to the world. After being a public figure for years, the 37-year-old was finally ready.

Following his groundbreaking video, Lee Yang opened up about his journey with his sexuality. Having been dubbed one of the world’s most culturally influential creators, the YouTuber was comfortable with his identity behind the scenes.

However, he feared his loved ones would react negatively if he came out in the open. Eventually, he weighed the pros and cons and decided it was time, as he explained:

“I finally felt safe. I feel like every queer person has the moment where they are elegantly perfecting the craft of withholding just enough, and I realized I was doing that with the audience.”

Given his Asian-American ethnicity, coming out also broadened his activism as an advocate against Asian hate. Lee Yang became one of the few celebrities representing his demographic as a person of color in the LGBTQ community. Months later, he revealed his longtime partner, Matthew McLean.

McLean (born August 26) graduated from the University of Rochester with a Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics, French, and Translation in 2009. Afterward, he immediately enrolled at Syracuse University, attaining his Master’s in International Relations and Foreign Policy in 2011.

McLean earned another Master’s in Business Administration at USC Marshall School of Business in 2016. He worked at various companies throughout his college tuition, including the US Department of State, the UN Foundation, and the World Health Organization.

He also served in temporary positions for Oaktree Capital Management and the Annenberg Foundation and was a Senior Intern at PwC. McLean joined EY, a prominent Los Angeles-based accounting firm, in 2016 as a Senior Consultant. Two years later, he was promoted to Manager.

McLean and Lee Yang had eyed each other for a year at a gym when McLean decided to approach Lee Yang. They started dating soon after. McLean, who worked for a funeral home as a high schooler, revealed that he and his beau moved in together in 2013 during a 2020 episode of “TryPod.”