Jameela Jamil breaks silence on the ‘perfect clusterf**k’ that led to her coming out as queer
Actress Jameela Jamil. (Amanda Edwards/Getty)
Jameela Jamil opened up about the “completely overwhelming” chain of events that ended with her coming out to the world as queer.
The Good Place actor addressed the “insane” day, which began when she was wrongly announced as the MC and judge for Legendary, a new voguing competition show.
She came under heavy criticism for accepting a prominent role in the series despite her lack of ballroom experience.
Many accused her of hypocrisy given that she’d previously turned down the role of a deaf woman because she’d rather see a disabled actor in the role (Jamil was born partly deaf but later regained her hearing).
Jameela Jamil admits her timing ‘was bad’.
Jameela Jamil was quick to clarify that she was only serving as judge and not as MC, and came out as queer while addressing the backlash – a move which sparked even further vitriol.
“It was completely overwhelming,” Jamil said on Instagram.
“A misunderstanding was left uncorrected for too long, and misinformation spread too far, too fast.”
Admitting that the timing of her coming out “was bad,” she explained that “in a moment of distress and pain, personal things were blurted out”.
“When you have a secret for decades and you’re traumatised, it always feels like it might just f**king burst out of you at any given moment, even the most inappropriate and unfortunate ones,” she said.
Joking that she had “peaked for all of us,” she added: “I thankfully chose the *most* inappropriate and unfortunate time, maybe ever, for mine. So now you don’t have to feel embarrassed about yours.”
“Timing aside”, Jamil said that her queerness was “better out than in”, and thanked the thousands of fans who had sent her love and support in the days that followed, including some who came out to her privately.
I don’t take it lightly and am happy for you that you felt ready to tell even one person.
Urging those who are yet to come out to do so when it is right and safe for them to do so, she continued: “Don’t feel bad for hiding it for as long as you need, and move at your own pace.
“But feel no shame about getting it off your chest and know you aren’t alone.
“There is a huge community of people who understand you, respect you and stand with you.”
