Julie Bowen is getting candid when it comes to her sexuality.
The Modern Family actress had former Bachelor contestant and current girlfriend of Hayley Kiyoko, Becca Tilley, on her Quitters podcast recently. During the episode, they ended up discussing current societal expectations to label one’s sexuality.
“I hope people don’t always have to come out,” Bowen said, and it seemed fairly clear that it may have had something to do with her own personal experiences.
Although she says she identifies as straight and always has, she readily admitted that she was “in love with a woman for a while, but she didn’t love me back.”
“She liked women, but she didn’t like me in that way,” Bowen added. “It never really took off, so I never really had to challenge my concept of my sexuality.”
\u201cJULIE BOWEN ?!?!!!\u201d— iza (@iza) 1667252804
The admission shook Bowen’s fans, who had a lot to say about her identifying as straight but having fallen for another woman at some point in her past.
\u201cShe's real as hell for that\u201d— fruits & weirdos only (@fruits & weirdos only) 1667346630
\u201cjulie bowen really flipped around the entire \u201cif this guy breaks my heart i\u2019ll just become gay\u201d statement\u201d— lotte \u2767 (@lotte \u2767) 1667413468
\u201cthis picture of julie bowen and sofia vergara hits different now\u201d— meri (@meri) 1667336393
\u201cwould love to see julianna margulies, rachel weisz, and julie bowen have a roundtable talk about what they think heterosexuality is\u201d— g\u2019emma\u2019s side piece (@g\u2019emma\u2019s side piece) 1667345525
Everyone should be able to identify however they want, regardless of past relationships or interests, but Bowen’s story does remind us that labels — for those who opt to use them — should be allowed to shift and change over time, in any direction.
And if she wants to fall for a woman again, it seems like a whole lot of fans would be rooting for that modern love story!
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