Culture

Elvira comes out as queer and reveals 19-year relationship with ‘beautiful, androgynous creature’

Elvira, aka actress Cassandra Peterson, attends Knott's Scary Farm and Instagram Celebrity Night at Knott's Berry Farm

Elvira, aka actress Cassandra Peterson, attends Knott’s Scary Farm and Instagram Celebrity Night at Knott’s Berry Farm on 29 September 2017 in Buena Park, California. (Getty/ Barry King)

Horror goddess Elvira has come out of the crypt and revealed that she has been in a relationship with a woman for 19 years.

Cassandra Peterson, the actress behind the Mistress of the Dark, Elvira, opened up about her relationship with Teresa ‘T’ Wierson in her newly released memoir Yours Cruelly, Elvira.

The iconic movie star and host shared that she first met Wierson at the Hollywood Gold’s Gym after initially mistaking her for a “dark and brooding” man with “intense energy”. She explained that she eventually discovered the “sexy bad boy” was a woman, and they struck up a deep friendship that eventually evolved into more.

“A former bodybuilder, track runner and cyclist, she was an incredibly sweet person, despite her tough exterior,” Peterson wrote about Wierson, People reported.

“She had the ability to make something even as mundane as working out fun, and we trained together three times a week for the next six years, striking up a close friendship along the way.”

Wierson came to live with Peterson after the Elvira star’s divorce from her husband of 25 years, Mark Pierson. Peterson explained how having Wierson around was a “huge relief”, and that she “began to feel happier” with her around than she had been in years.

“Evenings were spent with all of us laughing, cooking, singing and dancing around the kitchen while she helped me prep dinner,” Peterson wrote.

After a surprise kiss, Peterson recalled that she had “never been interested in women as anything other than friends”, and she felt “so confused” because of her feelings for Wierson. She “soon discovered” that they connected on a deeper level.

Peterson added it eventually became clear to her that she was “falling in love with this beautiful, androgynous creature who’d appeared on my doorstep, like an angel, just when I needed someone most”.

Now, years later, the actor behind Elvira is happy and wants to share her story with her fans.

She explained she felt the “need to protect Elvira” to “keep my career alive” because the character “always had a thing for men”. So she worried that, if she announced she was “no longer living the ‘straight life’, then her fans would “abandon me”.

However, fans came out in droves to support the long-standing LGBT+ icon that is Elvira and the now-openly queer actor behind the legendary character.

https://twitter.com/Turbocrit/status/1440412563313872906

Elvira has been synonymous with all things spooky and camp for decades. The gifted actor also has shown she has a special place in her heart for the LGBT+ community.

Elvira impersonators are rife among the drag community, and Peterson revealed that she attributed much of her career success to drag queens in an interview with Queerty.

She shared that she had “no idea” she would become an LGBT+ icon when she started her career as Elvira. Peterson said it now felt like “divine justice” that she ended up inspiring the LGBT+ community because they were her inspiration growing up.

“Growing up, I learned everything I knew from drag queens, and now I am influencing them,” she said.

She added that putting on her Elvira persona is “very much like doing drag”. But the only difference, she said, is that she doesn’t “have to tuck”.

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