Ashlyn Harris took to Instagram on Friday to specific her overwhelming pleasure and help for her girlfriend, actress Sophia Bush, who just lately got here out as queer.
Harris shared a snapshot of Bush gracing the duvet of Glamour journal‘s newest challenge, the place Bush, 41, bares her vulnerability and fact in an emotional essay.
Within the 38-year-old’s Instagram Story repost, Harris wrote, “Proud of you babe🥹🫠,” alongside the charming picture of Bush, clad solely in a brown leather-based jacket together with her palms protecting her naked chest. The quilt featured a strong quote from Bush’s essay, “I feel like I can finally breathe.”
The One Tree Hill star revealed to the journal that she has lengthy felt her sexuality exists on a spectrum however now feels snug embracing the time period “queer.”
“I think I’ve always known that my sexuality exists on a spectrum,” Bush shared. “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. I think I’ve always known that my sexuality exists on a spectrum. 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, who has been a vocal supporter of the LGBTQIA+ neighborhood, expressed her frustration on the necessity of popping out in 2024, a time marked by what she described as probably the most aggressive assaults on the LGBTQIA+ neighborhood in trendy historical past. She highlighted the significance of honoring the act of popping out amid hostility and discrimination.
Her journey to self-discovery has been deeply private, marked by introspection, remedy and the help of family members. Bush candidly shared her expertise of shedding the burden of societal expectations and embracing her true self.
“I finally feel like I can breathe. I don’t think I can explain how profound that is. 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,” she mentioned.
The actress additionally addressed her relationship with soccer star Ashlyn Harris, 38, confirming their romantic involvement. Bush revealed that their connection blossomed amid their respective divorces and emphasizes the profound influence of their romance has had on her life.
Nonetheless, Bush mentioned the invasion of privateness and the unfold of false narratives surrounding her divorce from ex-husband Grant Hughes, 42, and her subsequent relationship with Harris. She vehemently denied accusations of infidelity and emphasizes the emotional toll of being subjected to rumors and harassment.
“The idea that I left my marriage based on some hysterical rendezvous — that, to be crystal-clear, never happened –rather than having taken over a year to do the most soul crushing work of my life? Rather than realizing I had to be the most vulnerable I’ve ever been, on a public stage, despite being terrified to my core? It feels brutal,” mentioned Bush.
Regardless of the challenges, Bush expressed gratitude for the unwavering help of her household, notably her mother and father, Charles and Maureen, who’ve embraced her journey with love and acceptance.
Bush and Harris made their first public look collectively in March at Elton John AIDS Basis’s thirty second annual Academy Awards viewing get together in West Hollywood, California. Bush shocked in a stunning burgundy Marmar Halim robe with a thigh-high slit paired with a glowing, jewel-encrusted choker. In the meantime, Harris rocked a classy go well with that includes an ivory button-down shirt, diamond stud earrings, and a slew of glowing necklaces.
The couple was photographed contained in the star-studded occasion, the place they posed for a photograph with Will & Grace star Eric McCormack.
“Sophia Bush and Ashlyn Harris showed up to the Elton John Aids Foundation Oscar viewing party together but went through security and entered the party separately. The two kept a low profile, avoiding media and mingling with friends,” a supply instructed ET on the time. “This comes after the happy couple spent a fun time together with friends at South by Southwest in Austin. The two enjoyed the festivities while in Austin, and made it a point to lay low.”
Information first broke in October that Bush and Harris had sparked a romance shortly after every had cut up from their companions — Hughes and Ali Krieger, respectively.
A supply instructed ET then, “Sophia and Ashlyn are dating and are into each other… Although it’s new, the two are on the same page and talk about their future together.”
Bush filed for divorce from Hughes in August 2023 after 13 months of marriage. “Grant and Sophia are better off as friends and they weren’t getting enough time with each other before their breakup… It wasn’t ugly and they are still supporting each other, want each other to be happy,” a supply instructed ET on the time.
In the meantime, Harris, a retired United States Ladies’s Nationwide Soccer Crew star, filed for divorce from Ali Krieger in September. The pair — who tied the knot in 2019 after assembly in 2010 — are mother and father to Sloane, 3, and Ocean, 1.
Harris later launched an announcement to social media in November, addressing her cut up and hypothesis surrounding her romance with Bush.
“Several weeks ago, a process that had been ongoing privately for some time became public,” Harris wrote concerning the September divorce submitting. “Ending a relationship after almost 13 years of friendship, teammate-ship, marriage and co-parenting (many of them good years) is a decision that was not made lightly.”
Addressing the rumors that she was untrue throughout her marriage, Harris referred to as them “unbearably painful,” and unfaithful.
“People have run with a narrative that’s unbearably painful. Not all marriages last forever. Ours did not. For many reasons,” she wrote. “And while I understand that the false narratives about why might feel juicer or make a better headline, they are simply not true.”
She continued, “Let me be clear, “Let me be clear: I did not step out on my marriage. I was always faithful in my marriage, if not always totally happy. Like in many partnerships, there was work in therapy and processing done. None of this happened on a whim.”
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