You’ve seen him. The messy bun, the oversized scrubs, the "bestie" energy that feels like a warm hug and a chaotic trauma dump all at once. John Dela Cruz—famously known as Nurse John—has basically become the patron saint of burnt-out healthcare workers. But as his fame has skyrocketed from TikTok skits to sold-out comedy tours in Australia and the US, one question seems to trail him like a persistent call light: is Nurse John gay?
It’s kind of funny how the internet works. People see a man who is empathetic, expressive, and uses words like "bestie" or "pookie," and they immediately start filing him into a specific box. Honestly, the assumptions say more about our stereotypes of male nurses than they do about the man himself.
The Mystery Behind the "Bestie" Persona
John Dela Cruz didn't set out to be a celebrity. He was a real nurse, hitting the floor in Quebec right as the pandemic turned the world upside down. He started posting to cope. It was a lifeline. When you’re dealing with short-staffing, bodily fluids, and patients who think Google is a medical degree, you either laugh or you quit. John chose to laugh.
Because his comedy often leans into feminine-coded archetypes—the sassy charge nurse, the "mean girl" coworker, the exhausted floor nurse—many viewers just assumed his sexuality.
There’s this weird cultural reflex where we equate "sass" or "theatricality" with being gay. In reality, John is portraying the people he works with. He’s a character actor at heart. He’s mimicking the chaotic energy of a hospital breakroom, not necessarily broadcasting his own private life.
The "Wife" Reveal That Broke the Internet
If you’ve been scrolling through Reddit or TikTok lately, you might have seen the "wifey reveal" posts. For a long time, John kept his personal life behind a very thick curtain. Most of his content is about the job, the coffee addiction, and the shared trauma of a 12-hour shift.
But recently, bits and pieces of his real world have started to leak out.
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Reports and social media sleuthing from fans—especially within the Filipino community—point to John being in a long-term relationship with a woman named Bianca. On platforms like r/ChikaPH and r/PinoyVloggers, fans have shared photos and snippets confirming that he is, in fact, straight. He has a girlfriend (some even say wife) who is also a nurse.
It’s a bit of a plot twist for those who were convinced he was part of the LGBTQ+ community. But for John, it seems he’s just a guy who is very comfortable in his own skin. He doesn’t feel the need to "man up" his comedy to prove anything. He’s just John.
Why Do We Care if Nurse John is Gay?
The obsession with his sexuality actually highlights a pretty big issue in healthcare. Male nurses only make up about 12% of the workforce in the US and Canada. There’s still this lingering, dusty stigma that nursing is "women's work."
When a guy like John comes along—someone who is funny, successful, and clearly loves the profession—people try to categorize him to make sense of it.
- If he’s gay, it "fits" the stereotype some people hold.
- If he’s straight, he’s "breaking" the mold.
But honestly? It shouldn't matter. Whether he’s gay, straight, or anything in between, his impact on the nursing community is what actually sticks. He’s the first person to stand up and say, "Hey, we are underpaid, we are tired, and we deserve better." That resonates whether you're a straight guy from Montreal or a queer nurse in London.
Dealing With the "Queerbaiting" Accusations
With great fame comes great "call-out" culture. Some people on TikTok have accused Nurse John of "queerbaiting"—essentially using the aesthetics of queer culture to gain a following without actually being queer.
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That feels like a reach.
John’s humor is rooted in the "Nurse Persona." If you’ve ever spent ten minutes in a nursing station, you know that the "bestie" talk is a universal survival language. It’s not about sexual orientation; it’s about a shared subculture of people who haven't peed in eight hours and are surviving on lukewarm Starbucks.
He’s not "pretending" to be gay; he’s accurately representing the vibe of the modern healthcare worker.
The Real John Dela Cruz
Behind the ring light and the scrubs, John is an immigrant success story. He moved from the Philippines to Canada at 17. He saw his mother work herself to the bone as an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW). He went into nursing because he wanted to help people, inspired by the care his grandfather received.
His "accidental" fame has turned into a massive platform. He’s now:
- Hosting one of the top comedy podcasts in North America (I Beg Your Pardon).
- Touring the world with a live show called "Short Staffed."
- Raising awareness for mental health and nurse burnout.
He’s admitted that he’s struggled with burnout himself. Therapy helped him realize that he couldn't pour from an empty cup. That’s the real tea. Not who he’s sleeping with, but how he’s helping an entire generation of healthcare workers stay sane.
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What We Actually Know
To be crystal clear: John Dela Cruz has not made a "coming out" post because, by all accounts, he isn't gay. He’s a straight man with a female partner who happens to be extremely good at portraying the sassy, relatable nuances of the nursing profession.
He joins a long list of performers who use camp and exaggerated personas to entertain. Think of it like a modern-day Vaudeville act, just set in a Med-Surg unit instead of a theater.
If you’re looking for "proof," you’ll find it in his podcasts and occasional social media slips where he mentions his girlfriend or "wifey." But he’s clearly choosing to keep that part of his life as private as possible, which, in 2026, is a pretty smart move.
Moving Beyond the Labels
Next time you're watching a Nurse John video and find yourself wondering about his personal life, maybe just enjoy the joke. The man is a comedic genius for a very specific niche. He’s captured the exact moment a nurse loses their soul after a "Code Brown" at 4:00 AM.
That’s his gift.
If you're a nurse or healthcare worker, the best way to support him isn't by speculating on his dating life. It’s by taking his advice: stay hydrated, take your meds, and remember that you're more than just your employee ID number.
Actionable Insights for Fans:
- Respect the Boundary: Just because someone shares their "trauma dumps" online doesn't mean they owe the public a look into their bedroom.
- Support the Message: Focus on the advocacy John does for better working conditions and mental health support for nurses.
- Check the Source: Don't believe every TikTok "exposure" video. Most of the claims about his personal life are based on old stereotypes.
- Catch a Show: If you want to see the "real" John, his live shows are where he gets the most candid about his journey from a student nurse in Quebec to a global comedy star.