Sawyer Hemsley, a co-creator of the Utah-founded chain, shares his story: ‘There have been people online trying to define me’
(Crumbl Cookies) Pictured is a storefront of Crumbl Cookies. Sawyer Hemsley, a co-creator of the Utah-founded chain, recently shared how he has “come to understand and accept that I’m gay.”
A co-founder of Crumbl Cookies — which has grown from its first store in the college town of Logan to a global brand — said on Instagram that he wants to tell his own story about his sexual orientation.
“There have been people online trying to define me, twist things and share conversations in ways that feel harmful,” Hemsley wrote. “Instead of letting others write my story, I want to share it in my own words.”
Hemsley, raised in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, wrote in the Monday post, “I’ve come to understand and accept that I’m gay. It’s taken me a long time to really process this part of myself and even longer to feel comfortable enough to say it out loud.”
Before now, Hemsley explained, “I didn’t have the clarity to answer the questions or respond to the rumors. Coming to terms with it has been overwhelming and, at times, scary — but it has also brought me peace, joy and authenticity that I wouldn’t trade for anything.”
A Crumbl spokesperson told The Salt Lake Tribune via email that Hemsley declined to comment further at this time. Hemsley doesn’t describe whether something specific led to his message. Digital outlet The Cut, however, traces recent online conversations about Hemsley to an influencer’s post last week that has 17 million views.
Hemsley is the chief branding officer at Crumbl, which has more than 6 million followers on Instagram and more than 10 million on TikTok and has fueled its success with savvy use of social media. As The New York Times put it in a 2023 profile: “The company has manufactured its own hype and turbocharged it by announcing weekly cookie flavors on TikTok as if they were limited-edition sneaker drops.”
Hemsley grew up in the southeastern Idaho town of Preston — the setting of “Napoleon Dynamite,” and served a mission in Mexico for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he told podcaster Josie Van Dike last year.
The faith holds that being attracted to people of the same sex is not a sin but acting on it is. Hemsley didn’t mention the church in his post, but did refer to his upbringing.
“I grew up with values and beliefs that I still deeply love and respect, which made this journey more complicated,” he wrote. “But I remain grateful for my foundation, even as I’ve worked to embrace this truth about myself.”
As Hemsley talked earlier with Van Dike about serving his mission, he interjected at one point with a smile, “I need to go to church; I haven’t been in a while.”
In Mexico, he said in the interview, “I loved learning about myself, living on my own, meeting new people, learning a new language. And I would do it again. But my thoughts and feelings have changed a little bit. But I still loved that moment in life.”
Hemsley and his cousin, Jason McGowan, opened the first Crumbl Cookies location in Logan in 2017 while Hemsley was a student at Utah State University, after serving his mission. (“He married my cousin. So we just say we’re cousins,” Hemsley told Van Dike.)
The pair launched the bakery with a shared goal of creating the “perfect” chocolate chip cookie, according to the company’s website. The company has since grown to 1,071 locations — including 25 in Utah — according to its website.
Hemsley’s post this week has garnered over 16,000 likes and more than 1,500 comments, largely expressing support. Online, he’s a fitness fan who also believes “that dessert has a place at every table,” and a self-proclaimed “dog dad” and vintage Bronco enthusiast.
Hemsley described having mixed experiences with social media during the interview last year, calling it “hard to navigate, sometimes.” During the pandemic, Twitter users called for a boycott of Crumbl after Hemsley posted videos and photos of employees without masks at a company holiday party. Later, critics attacked Crumbl as it feuded with competitors in court.
Despite the pitfalls, Hemsley said, “It’s always inside of me, like I want to share with people what’s going on. I think it’s so cool when a founder or just a human just shares their life.”
In his Monday post, he said he knows “some people may have questions or even judgments, but my hope is that kindness, empathy, and love will lead the way,” he wrote. “I’ve learned so much through this process — about strength, compassion and the importance of living authentically.”
He concludes by saying he is “thankful” for the opportunities he’s had and for those that have supported him. His journey has been one of “growth and honesty,” he wrote, “and one I’ll never stop being grateful for.”