Gavin Houston Describes Jeffery's Coming Out

In the first season of The Haves and the Have Nots, Jeffery Harrington is a closeted gay man who doesn't feel comfortable coming out to his powerful parents. "So, he was dealing with that inner turmoil," says Gavin Houston, the actor who portrays Jeffery. "And, slowly but surely, it got unraveled and there was a big blowup."

While Jeffery's father accepts his sexuality, his mother, Veronica, is an entirely different story. She envisioned her son marrying a woman and having a family—and she'll be damned if that still doesn't happen. While Jeffery put up with his controlling mother for years, his narrative is beginning to change.

"He was this shy, quiet guy initially, and, so now, he's slowly getting stronger and slowly owning who he is and being confident and grounded in that," Gavin says. "It's just interesting how the tables are turning, I think, for Jeffery, versus his mother."

While Jeffery shows moments of strength in standing up to his mother, Gavin points out that he often takes a step back. "Jeffery definitely was tortured for a long time," he explains. "He now has more knowledge of who he is, so he's now able to put his foot down on certain things."

"That's just only going to get stronger," Gavin predicts.

Tune in for the season premiere of The Haves and the Have Nots Tuesday, June 20, at 9/8c.