The 'She Bangs' singer admits he was overwhelmed with relief when he finally ended years of speculation about his sexuality in a twitter posting in March this year.
He said: "When I realized, okay, I just pressed send, whoo... I was alone. I was in my studio alone for a minute. My assistant walked in and I just started crying like a little baby. I started crying.""When I was holding them in my arms I was like, 'What? Am I gonna teach them how to lie?' Whoa, that is my blessing right there. Then, when I was holding my children I said, 'Okay, it's time to tell the world.'"
Ricky explains in more detail his sexuality in his new autobiography 'Me', which is released this week.
He wrote in the book: "Since I can remember, I have felt a very strong attraction to other men and, although I can say that I have also come to feel a lot of attraction and a lot of chemistry towards women, it is men who ultimately awaken what is instinctive, the animal in me."