Charice Pempengco, former "Glee" actress, comes out

Charice Pempengco, the Filipino singer who played Sunshine Corazon on "Glee," has revealed that she is a lesbian.

When asked during an interview with Filipino talk show host Boy Abunda on "The Buzz" if she is a lesbian, she responded in her native language, Tagalog, "Yes, I am," according to People.

"I have deep gratitude for the Filipinos because they are the ones who know who I really am," she continued. "I don't know what the problem is because for me, there is no problem with that. So now I ask for forgiveness from those who don't understand. And those who cannot accept. I apologize, I understand you."

"To those who could accept, and who could accept me, thank you very, very much," she added. "I just want to say to all of you that I feel very light -- that I can leave the house knowing I am not hiding anything. ... I love myself, that's why I'm able to do this."

The 21-year-old shot to fame in the U.S. after appearances on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" and "The Oprah Winfrey Show." She has performed with Celine Dion, Andrea Bochelli and others. Last year, she served as a judge on "The X Factor Philippines."

She appeared on "Glee" during the show's second season, playing a foreign exchange student from the Philippines.