"It was a mistake, whether I sleep with men or women doesn't matter" - When Martina Navratilova felt 'betrayed' by writer who exposed her sexuality

Martina Navratilova once opened up about her regrets over confiding in a journalist with details about her sexuality. Navratilova disclosed that the journalist "burned" her trust by publishing the personal story without her consent.

In 1981, shockwaves were sent through the tennis community when Billie Jean King was outed by a former partner. Navratilova publicly supported King after the revelation, condemning the "gay witch hunt" the former World No. 1 was forced to endure.

However, just a few months later, Martina Navratilova faced the same ordeal. Mere days after the tennis star had received her US citizenship, the New York Daily News ran a story by journalist Steve Goldstein revealing that she was bisexual.

In a 1985 interview with the New York Times, Navratilova emphasized that she felt "betrayed" by Goldstein. She explained that she had confided in the reporter off the record and that he had assured her that he wouldn't publish the personal story without her consent, only for the article to make headlines shortly afterwards.

Martina Navratilova, who later came out publicly as a lesbian, also admitted that it was a "mistake" to discuss her sexuality with the journalist, contending that her private life was nobody else's business.

"The writer betrayed me. I knew him. That's why I was talking to him pretty candidly, but I said, 'This is all off the record. Well, I won't print it if you don't want me to.' I said, 'Of course I don't want you to,'" Martina Navratilova said.

"A few days later it's in the paper. I still feel it was a mistake to talk about it. Whether I sleep with men or women doesn't matter. I just don't want to talk about it, period. I was speaking in total trust and got burned once again," he added.

---

"Martina Navratilova asked me not to print the interview, but as far as I was concerned, we had an agreement" - Journalist Steve Goldstein

Martina Navratilova (Source: Getty)

During the same interview, journalist Steve Goldstein defended his decision to reveal Martina Navratilova's sexuality. Goldstein disclosed that Navratilova had feared that her American citizenship would be jeopardized if the comments were published, leading him to assure that he would wait until after she was granted citizenship.

"I was interviewing Martina, and I asked about her sexuality, knowing that she would answer because she's a very honest person. At the end of the interview, she said, 'You're not going to use that, are you?' I said, 'Martina, you never said it was off the record.' She got upset and said it might affect her citizenship application. So I said I wouldn't print it until her citizenship was granted," Goldstein said.

Goldstein asserted that he had informed the former World No. 1 of his intent to publish after her citizenship was finalized. Despite her plea for the story to remain private, the reporter insisted that he felt justified in moving forward with the article, as he had honored their "agreement."

"A few months later she got her citizenship, and I called to tell her I was going to use the interview. But by that time, the Billie Jean King story had hit the papers, and Martina asked me not to print the interview. But as far as I was concerned, we had an agreement and I kept my part of it," he added.

Meanwhile, Martina Navratilova has been open about how being outed cost her dearly, revealing that she lost out on "millions" in endorsement deals due to the revelation of her sexuality.