Lili Reinhart has revealed that she didn’t want to come out as bisexual while she was in a relationship with Cole Sprouse because she didn’t want people to doubt her sexuality — but she doesn’t believe anyone is completely straight.
The 24-year-old actress, who revealed she is a ‘proud bisexual woman’ on Instagram in June, opened up about waiting to publicly come while appearing on Tuesday’s episode of the ‘LGBTQ&A’ podcast, explaining that she had been ‘afraid’ that people would think she was ‘lying to get attention.’
‘I think that’s why I didn’t come out as bisexual until I was not in a relationship anymore,’ she said. ‘Because it’s easy for people to question, “Oh, but you’re with a man that’s straight.”‘
Candid: Lili Reinhart, 24, opened up about waiting to publicly come out as bisexual while appearing on Tuesday’s episode of the ‘LGBTQ&A’ podcast
Looking back: Lili said she didn’t want to come out while she was in a relationship with her now ex-boyfriend Cole, 28, because she didn’t want people to question her sexuality
‘It’s like, well, Anna Paquin is married to a man, but she is bisexual because she’s been with women and likes women,’ she added. ‘I think people are always going to have something to say.’
Lili explained that she also didn’t want people to question her relationship with her now ex-boyfriend Cole, 28. The Riverdale stars initially separated in January after two years together and broke up in March, just a few months before she came out.
‘I didn’t want to put my ex in a position… it seems like it would have been a little strange to come out when I was in a hetero relationship,’ she said.
‘It just seemed kind of, I dunno, maybe a little bit like I was looking for something else while I was in the relationship.
‘So I didn’t really think about coming out until after I was not in a relationship anymore. It felt more organic that way.’
Fears: While the actress had known she was bisexual for years, she was ‘afraid that people would think she was ‘lying to get attention’ if she publicly came out
When Lili came out on Instagram, she was also encouraging fans to come to an ‘LGBTQ+ for #BlackLivesMatter’ protest in Los Angeles.
She explained that she didn’t want to take her announcement away from the protest, but she also wanted people to know she was a proud member of the LGBTQ community.
‘I kind of tried doing it as nonchalantly as possible. I guess, coming out is not a nonchalant thing,’ she said.
The Chemical Hearts actress noted that she doesn’t personally believe anyone is completely straight, so she didn’t think it was ‘breaking news.’
‘It just didn’t seem like a big deal to me,’ she admitted. ‘And it also, kind of like the way I look at the world right now… I’m like, “Isn’t everyone bisexual?”‘
Thoughts: The Riverdale star also shared that she doesn’t think anyone is completely straight, saying: ‘I’m like, “Isn’t everyone bisexual?”‘
Fans: Lili shared that after she came out, she ‘did have a couple of ladies sliding into [her] DMs,’ which she found to be both ‘funny’ and ‘also flattering’
Lili said she started ‘thinking about girls a lot’ when she was in the fifth grade, but she didn’t really begin exploring her sexuality until she moved to Los Angeles when she was 18.
She had identified as straight, and she didn’t start to think of herself as bisexual until she developed feelings for a woman whom she was also sexually attracted to.
‘Over the course of the last couple of years, I’ve realized that it’s just part of me,’ she said, adding her bisexuality had never really been a secret.
‘I’ve wanted people to know that I am bisexual, but I’ve never felt there was a right time to do it. I was afraid of coming out,’ she explained.
‘You know, I didn’t want people to tell me that I was lying to get attention or something. And, so, I just kind of kept my mouth shut.
Back to work: Lili and her Riverdale co-stars recently returned to Vancouver, Canada, to resume filming the CW teen drama
Splitsville: The actress admitted that having to make out with her ex-boyfriend Cole at work is ‘not an easy thing to do,’ but she knows it’s part of her job
‘I’ve also told people in the past, and they’ve told me, “Oh, you know, it’s a phase,” and I’m like, “Okay, great, thanks.” So, you know, that’s discouraging, obviously. I think that happens with bisexuality a lot.’
She shared that after she came out, she ‘did have a couple of ladies sliding into [her] DMs,’ which she found to be both ‘funny’ and ‘also flattering.’
Lili and her Riverdale co-stars recently returned to Vancouver, Canada, to resume filming the CW teen drama, and during her interview, she also discussed what it’s like to have to make out with her ex-boyfriend Cole for her job.
‘I can have a sense of humor about it. I think it’s really kind of like 0.0000001 per cent of human beings ever have to do that,’ she said, noting: ‘I’m not going to lie to you. It’s not an easy thing to do.
‘It’s not something that you want to do when you’re trying to, I dunno, move on, but, you know, I think I have a good outlook on it.
‘I know it’s my job, and I’m doing my job. I’m just doing my job.’