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Bridgerton Star Jonathan Bailey Reveals Why He Hid His Sexuality
"In order to be happy I needed to be straight," said the actor.
It took Netflix's hit show Bridgerton for Jonathan Bailey to be seen as a leading man, but he's certainly got our attention now. The 33-year-old is showing the world what he's got as the star of the upcoming second season, as well as opening up about his acting beginnings, including when he was warned that he should not be out with his sexuality.
In an interview with GQ UK, Bailey recalled some "advice" he overheard given to an actor friend. "At the time he was told, 'There’s two things we don’t want to know: if you’re an alcoholic or if you’re gay.'"
Bailey said those words stuck with him. "All it takes is for one of those people in that position of power to say that, and it ripples through. So, yeah, of course I thought that. Of course I thought that in order to be happy I needed to be straight."
That stuck with him for a long time and though he said he never denied his sexuality, he purposefully kept his love life very private, but Bailey decided to publicly come out in 2020. "I reached a point where I thought, 'Fuck this', I’d much prefer to hold my boyfriend’s hand in public or be able to put my own face picture on Tinder and not be so concerned about that, than get a part."
His fandom has grown massively since Bridgerton – especially among thirsty gay men – and he even appeared as a guest judge on RuPaul's Drag Race UK Vs. The World. Bailey has taken on gay and straight roles over the years, but there's no denying a certain charisma he's brought to every single one. You can call him a sex symbol, but he certainly won't be calling himself that.
“Any actor who thinks they’re a sex symbol? Cringe,” he said.
Taylor Henderson is a PRIDE.com contributor. This proud Texas Bama studied Media Production/Studies and Sociology at The University of Texas at Austin, where he developed his passions for pop culture, writing, and videography. He's absolutely obsessed with Beyoncé, mangoes, and cheesy YA novels that allow him to vicariously experience the teen years he spent in the closet. He's also writing one!
Taylor Henderson is a PRIDE.com contributor. This proud Texas Bama studied Media Production/Studies and Sociology at The University of Texas at Austin, where he developed his passions for pop culture, writing, and videography. He's absolutely obsessed with Beyoncé, mangoes, and cheesy YA novels that allow him to vicariously experience the teen years he spent in the closet. He's also writing one!
