Dancing With The Stars' Arthur Gourounlian claims online trolls are 'jealous' of marriage to Brian Dowling
Arthur married Brian in 2015 in Powerscourt, Co Wicklow
Dancing With The Stars judge Arthur Gourounlian has said he believes online trolls are “jealous” of him and his husband Brian Dowling’s happy marriage.
Arthur is the latest celebrity guest on Carl Mullan’s podcast, Phone Truths, and opens up about his marriage with Dowling and their two daughters, Blake and Blu.
But Arthur also addressed online critics who regularly comment on his relationship with Dowling and their family.
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He said: “They’re not going to be happy for you because there’s always jealousy because we are happy. I want to make sure my two daughters are protected and no matter what, they have Brian and I. As a parent, I am learning something new every day.
“Of course, they’re probably going to be bullied… they’re Irish-Armenian, they’re from surrogacy. That’s already a red flag. But they are so happy. Blake is thriving. It doesn’t matter – mam or dad – love is all you need. Blake is also very feisty, so we won’t be worrying about her, she will be okay! We will get a phone call that Blake actually said something,” he laughs.
The Armenian-born star speaks candidly about his experience of being an asylum seeker in Belgium fleeing Armenia in the '90s.
“That has always stuck with me and I’ve said whatever happens, I’m going to be happy, I'm going to move forward. I was trying to survive with my parents – like moments where we had to shave our heads to make sure we don’t have lice, things like that. I was never crying, I was 13, my sister was 11, [so] you were just going with it.”
When his father died when Arthur was just 16, it was his mother who Arthur says saved the family. “I don’t have idols in the celebrity world – my mom is my idol," he said.
“The way she handled all of that. She got married to save us in Belgium. If she didn’t have kids, she would have had to go back to Armenia.”
Now that he is a parent himself to two daughters, he said he would “do anything” to provide a good life for his children too.
“I’d work in a café, serve tables, I’d do anything – I don’t care, I’m so privileged with what I do now, I’m so honoured to be asked to do this and that, but at the same time, if that doesn’t work tomorrow, I’d do anything to survive and have a beautiful life for my kids.”
Asked what the best phone call he ever received was, he tells Carl about finally getting his Belgian passport in April 1998 with just three months left before he would be sent back to Armenia.
“When Blake and Blu got their Irish passports, I was like ‘oh my god’. People don’t understand that when you get that little booklet you can lead your life,” he said.
“That was the most relief and the most rewarding call I’ve ever gotten. When you are waiting for that moment and you don’t get handcuffed and put on a plane to Armenia… they validated you staying.
“Even if I didn’t travel, I didn’t care. But I had the passport to stay in the country – no one was going to kick me out. This little booklet to say you’re staying, you belong here,” he added.
Listen to Phone Truths with Carl Mullan on Spotify, Apple, YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts every Tuesday.
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