Lili Reinhart has spoken about coming out publicly as bisexual, explaining that for her close circle, her sexuality has “never been a secret”.
The Riverdale star came out as a “proud bisexual woman” in June when she posted on her Instagram stories to reveal that she would be attending an LGBTQ for Black Lives Matter protest.
Alongside a poster for the march, Reinhart wrote: “Although I’ve never announced it publicly before, I am a proud bisexual woman. And I will be joining this protest today. Come join.”
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The actor most recently dated her co-star Cole Sprouse, but reports surfaced earlier this year that the couple ended their relationship. However, neither have confirmed the news.
Now, speaking to Flaunt, Reinhart explained that she knew she was bisexual when she was young.
“I knew full well that I was attracted to women from a young age,” she said.
“I felt that since I’ve exclusively been in hetero-normative relationships, it would be too easy for any outsider, especially the media, to vilify me and accuse me of faking it to get attention.”
Reinhart continued: “That’s not something I wanted to deal with. But to my close friends, and those in my life, my bisexuality has been no secret.”
With regards to her involvement in the protests, Reinhart added: “It was incredible to be surrounded by so many people who are actively fighting against the injustices that are happening right now. Enough is enough and hopefully we’ll see real change from the actions that are now being taken.”
The 23-year-old also opened up about her struggles with mental health in the interview, explaining that she suffered from separation anxiety as a child.
“In my childhood there were instances where I would refuse to attend birthday parties for other kids, simply because I was too attached to my mom,” she said.
“I could not leave the house because the separation anxiety was crippling. When I finally got to elementary school, I always cried out for my mom. I was one of those kids. It’s insane to think back on now because I’m such an independent person.”
You can read the full interview here.