CULTURE: Ricky Martin talks to People about his new love, his memoir, and the day he came out to the world

Here are some excerpts from Ricky Martin  new interview with People. He was relegated to the upper left corner of the cover because, fantastically, Portia de Rossi got the main cover but lots of nice photos of Ricky inside!

On his new boyfriend: “I’m in love.” The relationship began just as he was writing a chapter in his new memoir, Me, about hoping for a soulmate. He won’t reveal the man’s identity but says: “He has nothing to do with the industry.” He says they will go public “whenever he’s ready.”

On writing his memoir: “All I wanted to do with this book was to let it all out. Every time I go over the pages, I feel relief.”

On fatherhood: “I always knew I was destined to be a father. … I will never forget the moment that each of them looked into my eyes for the very first time. Those were the most precious moments in my life. … I want to make sure that my kids grow up without the pressures that I grew up with. I want them to feel total freedom to be who they are. And if they like men or women or both, I won’t be the one to hold them back.”

On coming out publicly: “[Colleagues and friends] tried to dissuade me: it was not the right time, people wouldn’t understand. I know [it] came from love and concern. But I said, ‘What part of ‘I can’t take it anymore’ do you not understand?’ … When I pressed ‘Send’ [he came out in a letter on his website], I closed the computer and went to my room to take a nap. But the curiosity killed the cat. I called a friend and asked her to go to my Twitter account and tell me what people were saying. She said, ‘Kiki [his nickname], it’s pure love.”

His life today: “I feel strong, happy, and free. Thanks to [my sons], I found the strength to live without secrets. When they flash [their] smiles at me, I think, ‘The world could fall apart tomorrow, but it wouldn’t matter to me. This is the greatest joy imaginable.”