Singer Dove Cameron says she ‘hinted’ about her sexuality for years - despite being scared to come out.
Before she revealed she was bisexual in 2020, the former Disney star had been accused of queerbaiting and heavily criticised for her music.
Ultimately though, the backlash would lead to her finally coming out as a queer woman.
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Back in 2020, many LGBTQ+ fans reacted badly to Cameron’s ‘We Belong’ music video which featured various line drawings of gender ambiguous couples kissing.
As speculation surrounding the lyric video grew, the then 24-year-old decided to come out as bisexual, telling her 48 million followers during an Instagram Live.
"Guys, I really needed to explain something to you. Maybe I haven’t said it, but I’m super queer. This is something I want to represent through my music because it’s who I am," she explained.
The former Descendants star later revealed to Gay Times that she feared she wouldn’t be believed because of the previous accusations.
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Heartbreakingly, she told the publication: “I was never confused about who I was…I felt like I wouldn’t be accepted, and I had this strange narrative that people wouldn’t believe me.
“I’ve hinted about my sexuality for years while being afraid to spell it out for everybody,” she then admitted, revealing that the scandal had made her ask why she was so afraid to come out.
“It made me look at myself and question why I’m always with a boy in a music video or why I’m so uncomfortable in publicly expressing myself.”
Thankfully, the star has been able to discover more about herself since then.
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In a recent interview with Teen Vogue, Cameron said that she was more focused on her in recent years.
“With the process of coming out, it was about who I am as a whole rather than who I choose to date or sleep with," she said.
“I’m choosing to love myself, to be who I am every day and not edit myself depending on the room that I’m in. I’m making no apologies for who I am.”
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She also thanked her fans who had supported her after she publicly came out in 2020, revealing that others had been inspired to do the same.
“I've had such an unbelievable relationship with my fans and we have this very safe space that we've created,” she revealed.
Her story echoes many other celebs who’ve felt the pressure to come out amid fan speculation, including Heartstopper’s Kit Connor who faced similar accusations.
Katherine Sidnell