Milo Ventimiglia Has a Valid Explanation for His Teeny Tiny Short Shorts, Okay?

We’re finally getting the what, where, and why behind the Milo Ventimiglia short-shorts story. If you remember (and honestly, how could you not?), the Gilmore Girls actor was nabbed by paparazzi in West Hollywood back in April wearing the shortest shorts we ever did see to his local gym. But according to Ventimiglia himself, the shorts aren’t actually that short—they’re “normal length,” he told the co-hosts of The Talk on May 17th. Uh-huh. Sure.

I swear to God this is just a guy leaving the gym, Ventimiglia said during his guest spot. I wasn’t even thinking about it. The shorts are normal length, but when I work out I kind of fold them up just so I can work a little harder.

He continued, “It’s even a joke around some of my friends that are inside the gym when I’m there. We all know one another…you know get under a bar or get on a machine or something and my shorts get hiked up really high, then everyone kind of hoots and hollers.”

Right, Like, obviously. We were hooting and hollering just looking at the freaking photos.

Earlier this month, Ventimiglia joined in on the fun by posting a picture of the shorts at the center of the scandal. “Ride em high kids,” he captioned a May 6th Instagram post. “West Hollywood, CA.”

People in the comments said the This Is Us star should auction them off. Others said they’re ready for ’80s shorts to come back in style. Bring on the thigh game.

“I was literally just a guy leaving the gym,” Ventimiglia said during his appearance on The Talk. “So, whatever everybody got excited about—GQ calling it ‘short-short summer’—I’m excited about.”

Same. Here for it. Staying for it. Looking forward to short-short summer.