We’re only six days into Pride month, and it fucking RULES already!!!! Fresh off the 17th anniversary of Hell-residing war criminal Ronald Reagan’s death, which was yesterday by the way for all who don’t observe, I have just learned that noted great actor Alexandra Shipp is apparently queer!!!!
The 29-year-old—who you probably recognize from having seen some combination of X-Men: Apocalypse; Straight Outta Compton; and Love, Simon—publicly confirmed that she’s some flavor of queer in an Instagram post published earlier this week, People reports. After revealing that she came out privately sometime in the last three years, Shipp writes about why it took her nearly three decades to feel confident and comfortable enough to make that difficult decision:
Though I don’t believe in regrets, this would definitely be #1 for myself. I denied denied denied. I struggled with not only my sexuality, but my femininity. I was scared it was too late. I was scared I wasn’t going to be able to get work. I was scared no one would ever love me. Scared. Scared. Scared. It’s exhausting being scared all the time. It’s exhausting chasing other people’s ideas and opinions of who you should be. Today I’m happy in ways I don’t think my kid self could imagine. I get to be exactly who I want to be EVERY FUCKING DAY and it feels incredible!! It’s never too late to be you. If I don’t work because of a flawed, racist and homophobic system, then it was never the right thing for me. I KNOW multiple someone’s love me and I’m so fortunate and grateful for the love they show me on a daily basis. I’m not denying anything anymore. I’m not scared anymore. I have #pride in who I am and what I’m doing on this planet. I am myself and I love LOVE. Sure, we get a month. But for the past 3 years and for the rest of my life, I’ll be celebrating every day. Because I choose me.
Hell yeah. Love it. Don’t you love it? I do. I’d also love it if you, dear reader, come out as something, too. Doesn’t matter what! Just getting my weekly recruiting credits in. Thanks!
- Speaking of gay, Kehlani said in a recent interview that the father of her toddler, guitarist Javaughn Young-White (brother of comedian and Daily Show star Jaboukie Young-White), has been “super supportive” of her since she came out and that the two of them have remained focused on being the best team of parents they can be for their kid. [Bossip]
- Dolly Parton’s renovating Dollywood! [NBC News]
- “I always think that Amber would be married to someone extremely wealthy and driving him crazy,” says Clueless star Elisa Donovan. “I’m sure he travels a lot just so that he doesn’t have to be around her… And she probably has some sort of a fashion line, but she definitely is a little bit like an Andy Warhol where she’s not really doing the art, but she’s getting a lot of the credit for it.” [Us Weekly]
- Lisa Banes, the Drama Desk-nominated actor who played Rosamund Pike’s mom in Gone Girl, is in critical condition after an apparent hit-and-run in Manhattan. [NBC News]
- General Hospital (and Zenon!!!!) star Kirsten Storms says she’s doing fine after undergoing brain surgery to remove a noncancerous cyst. [Page Six]
- Sinéad O’Connor says she will no longer tour or record new music. [Deadline]
- Mariah Carey has left Roc Nation after a “blazing row” with label head Jay-Z. I don’t know what happened, but Mariah is right!!!! [New York Post]
- Surprise, surprise! Shanna Moakler fucking hates Kim Kardashian, whom she claims slept with ex-husband Travis Barker when they were still married and whose sister, Kourtney Kardashian, is now dating the Blink-182 drummer. [Us Weekly]
- This story is literally “we took a photo of Alex Rodriguez giving a thumbs up while Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck are dating in general.” I love it. [Page Six]
- Thinking about her (the “Always on My Mind” sequence from Veneno):