Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Screenshot courtesy of YouTube)

Jesse Tyler Ferguson revealed that he came out to his parents after an embarrassing incident.

The “Modern Family” star shared the story as part of PEOPLE’s Coming Out Stories video series. He explained that he stole porn from his local bookstore when he was a freshman in high school. Ferguson was caught by metal detectors and his parents had to come get him.

“I shamefully showed them the magazines under my shirt and they took me into a backroom and I was held there and a police officer came and arrested me.” Ferguson says.“My mom and dad had to come to the store and they had to show them the ‘nature of the material’ I was stealing and that’s sort of how I came out. I find it funny now, but at the time it was incredibly traumatizing.”

Ferguson says his father had the most difficult time accepting his sexuality.

“Ironically, my father still had a hard time catching up. I snuck some straight porn in there too, so that threw him off just enough,” Ferguson, who says he had to come out to his father three times, says.

Now, Ferguson is happily married to Justin Mikita.

“I’m now married, and my father, who had such a hard time accepting my sexuality, danced at my wedding very happily,” Ferguson says.