Sophia Bush Embraces Her Truth: The Star Gets Candid About Her Sexuality
In a soul-baring cover story for Glamour, Sophia Bush has revealed that she identifies as queer. The actress, activist, and podcast host is using her voice to raise awareness during a time of heightened attacks on the LGBTQIA+ community.
“I sort of hate the notion of having to come out in 2024,” the former One Tree Hill star confided. “But I’m deeply aware that we are having this conversation in a year when we’re seeing the most aggressive attacks on the LGBTQIA+ community in modern history.”
With over 500 anti-LGBTQ bills proposed across state legislatures last year alone, Bush felt compelled to approach this pivotal moment with the gravitas it deserves. “I’ve experienced so much safety, respect, and love in the queer community, as an ally all of my life, that, as I came into myself, I already felt it was my home,” she writes candidly.
In her raw and resonant essay, the multi-hyphenate describes her sexuality as existing on a spectrum, ultimately settling on the word “queer” as the label that best encapsulates her identity. “I think I’ve always known that my sexuality exists on a spectrum. Right now I think the word that best defines it is queer. I can’t say it without smiling, actually. And that feels pretty great.”
Bush’s journey of self-discovery has been inextricably linked to her personal life in recent years. After filing for divorce from her husband Grant Hughes last August, the actress was rumored to be dating soccer star Ashlyn Harris – a relationship she has now confirmed.
As she navigated the dissolution of her marriage, Bush also grappled with immense physical and emotional turmoil, including grueling fertility struggles and a harrowing health crisis that landed her in the hospital in London. It was in this tumultuous chapter that Harris emerged as part of the star’s support system, providing Bush with a newfound sense of grounding.
“This might sound crazy — but I think other people in trauma recovery will get it — I am taking deep breaths again,” she shares. “I can feel my legs and feet. I can feel my feet in my shoes right now. It makes me want to cry and laugh at the same time.”
In embracing her truth so openly, Sophia Bush is championing authenticity and fortifying the notion that our identities are ever-evolving, deeply personal, and worthy of respect. Her vulnerability is a resonant rallying cry in the face of disheartening prejudice.
