Sophia Bush’s Quote About “Coming Out” As “Queer” Is Sweet

She’s heard all of the rumors, and now Sophia Bush is clearing some things up in an essay she penned for Glamour. ICYMI, in August 2023, Bush filed for divorce from her husband, Grant Hughes, after over a year of marriage. Then, in October 2023, reports surfaced that Bush was dating Ashlyn Harris. (Around the same time, Harris’ ex, Ali Krieger posted that she was in her “Beyoncé Lemonade era,” referencing the singer’s album about infidelity.) Now, Bush is addressing the “homewrecker” accusations and detailing her “coming out” journey while she’s at it.

In her April 25 essay, Bush shared some thoughts on the vicious cycle of the rumor mill. “There were blatant lies. Violent threats. There were accusations of being a homewrecker,” she wrote in her piece. “The ones who said I’d left my ex because I suddenly realized I wanted to be with women — my partners have known what I’m into for as long as I have (so that’s not it, y’all, sorry!).”

Then, Bush addressed her sexuality more directly. “I sort of hate the notion of having to come out in 2024,” she prefaced. “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. There were more than 500 anti-LGBTQIA+ bills proposed in state legislatures in 2023, so for that reason I want to give the act of coming out the respect and honor it deserves.”

According to Bush, being an “ally” for so long made her entry into the LGBTQIA+ community an extremely welcoming one. “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 wrote.

“I think I’ve always known that my sexuality exists on a spectrum,” Bush continued. “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 added that she wished she could have made “the public part of this journey a choice for myself,” and criticized “gossip blogs and bottom-feeder online bots” for taking that decision away from her. “I’m very aware, though, as we discuss bullying and harassment and being outed without consent—that I’m incredibly lucky this happened in my adulthood,” she wrote.

The One Tree Hill actor also had the support of her parents throughout this process. “After the news became public, my mom told me that one of her friends called her and said, ‘Well, this can’t be true. I mean, your daughter isn’t gay,’” she recalled in the piece. “My mom felt that it was obvious, from the way her friend emphasized the word, that she meant it judgmentally. And you know what my mom said? ‘Oh honey, I think she’s pretty gay. And she’s happy.’”

According to Bush, this past year has been freeing. “I finally feel like I can breathe. I don't think I can explain how profound that is,” Bush wrote. “I feel like I was wearing a weighted vest for who knows how long. I hadn’t realized how heavy it was until I finally just put it down.”