Heartstopper star Kit Connor has shared that he is bisexual, revealing he was sadly "forced" to come out.
The actor broke out as Nick Nelson in Netflix's hugely successful LGBTQ+ series earlier this year, though has been subjected to speculation over his sexuality for months.
Connor has now revealed that he has unfortunately felt forced to reveal his sexual orientation in a post on Twitter.
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"Back for a minute. I'm bi. congrats for forcing an 18 year old to out himself," he wrote. "I think some of you missed the point of the show. Bye."
The actor has received support from Heartstopper creator Alice Oseman, who lamented the fact that people had watched the show and still not taken in the lessons it teaches.
"I truly don't understand how people can watch Heartstopper and then gleefully spend their time speculating about sexualities and judging based on stereotypes," she tweeted. "I hope all those people are embarrassed as F**K. Kit you are amazing."
Connor left Twitter back in September after he was cruelly trolled by fans accusing him of queerbaiting after he was seen holding hands with A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow co-star Maia Reficco in Paris.
In May, the actor noted that he didn't need to explain his sexuality, saying at the time: "In the cast, I'm 18 and we have a few people in their early 20s, and even with those older members of the cast, we're all so young, and to start speculating about our sexualities and maybe pressuring us to come out when maybe we're not ready."
He continued: "I mean, for me, I just feel like I'm perfectly confident and comfortable in my sexuality, but I'm not too big on labels and things like that. I'm not massive about that. And I don’t feel like I need to label myself, especially not publicly.
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"It's 2022, it feels a bit strange to make assumptions about a person's sexuality just based on hearing their voice or seeing their appearance. I feel like that’s a very interesting, slightly problematic, sort of assumption to make."
We've written how fans should never assume someone's sexuality and conflate the characters they play on screen with their actual selves, and should never force someone to come out publicly.
Connor has received a wealth of support on social media since his post:
Heartstopper is streaming on Netflix. Seasons 2 and 3 have been confirmed.
Hodder Children's Books Heartstopper Volume One by Alice Oseman
Hodder Children's Books Heartstopper Volume Two by Alice Oseman
Hodder Children's Books Heartstopper Volume Three by Alice Oseman
Hodder Children's Books Heartstopper Volume Four by Alice Oseman
Hodder Children's Books Heartstopper Volume 5 by Alice Oseman
HarperCollins Children's Books Nick and Charlie by Alice Oseman
HarperCollins Children's Books This Winter by Alice Oseman
Hodder Children's Books The Heartstopper Colouring Book by Alice Oseman
Hodder Children's Books The Heartstopper Yearbook by Alice Oseman
Sam is a freelance reporter and sub-editor who has a particular interest in movies, TV and music. After completing a journalism Masters at City University, London, Sam joined Digital Spy as a reporter, and has also freelanced for publications such as NME and Screen International. Sam, who also has a degree in Film, can wax lyrical about everything from Lord of the Rings to Love Is Blind, and is equally in his element crossing every 't' and dotting every 'i' as a sub-editor.
