Cynthia Erivo says ‘nerves and fear’ stopped her from coming out as bisexual
Cynthia Erivo attends the 73rd Annual Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall on June 09, 2019 in New York City. (Nicholas Hunt/Getty)
Cynthia Erivo has said “nerves and fear” stopped her from coming out as bisexual.
The acclaimed actress and singer opened up about her sexuality as a part of British Vogue‘s Pride issue, which features LGBTQ+ icons such as Ariana DeBose and Cara Delevingne.
Cynthia Erivo – who has previously said she’s queer – confirmed that she is bisexual in an interview with Paris Lees.
She went on to say that LGBTQ+ people “still feel the need to be constantly justifying why we deserve to be treated as equal beings, when really the only difference is that we love differently and we express ourselves differently.”
She added: “Rather than being chastised for that we should be commended for being brave. That’s the most important thing: giving people the space to show up fully as who they are.”
Cynthia Erivo decided to ‘share a little more’ about who she is
Erivo shared pictures from the British Vogue photoshoot on Instagram, writing: “Nerves and fear have gotten in the way of sharing all of who I am, and today with Pride and with wonderful people beside me I’m sharing a little more.”
She went on to thank the magazine’s editor Edward Enninful for giving her “the space” to speak about who she is.
Cynthia Erivo attends the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards at L.A. LIVE on September 19, 2021. (Rich Fury/Getty)
Erivo’s career has gone from strength to strength ever since she starred in the Broadway revival of The Color Purple. She won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for that performance, and she was later nominated for an Oscar for her role in Harriet.
Erivo, who will also star in the film adaptation of Wicked, has opened up about her sexuality in the past. She described herself as “queer” in a 2021 interview with the Evening Standard.
When asked if she had always identified as queer, Erivo said: “Yeah, but it’s just… I have never felt like I necessarily needed to come out – just because no-one ever really asked.”
She added: “People make assumptions… No one’s ever really assumed that I’m straight!”
