Julie Bowen has openly discussed her sexuality.
The 53-year-old actress from Modern Family gained fame primarily for her portrayal of Claire Dumphy in the critically acclaimed sitcom that won Emmy Awards.
Throughout the 11-season run of the show, her character's family dynamics were portrayed in a mockumentary format, showcasing every aspect of their lives on camera.
However, in reality, Bowen prefers to maintain her family's privacy and keeps her romantic relationships away from public scrutiny.
The star of Happy Gilmore candidly discussed her previous involvement in a same-gender romance during an installment of her podcast, Quitters.
Earlier, Bowen tied the knot with Scott Phillips in 2003 and together they have three sons.
However, their marriage came to an end in 2018.
The actress from Hubie Halloween has playfully remarked that she's "retired" from the dating scene. Nonetheless, during an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, she quipped about "coming out of retirement" if pop star Harry Styles were in the picture.
Support has poured in for Bowen since her revelation, with one individual expressing, "Everyone is all about thinking outside some box, but this places you in one at the moment you answer it. Love yourself, love the person, who complements you best."
Another agrees: "I don't understand why we have to have the need to make sure everybody understands what we like and what we don't like. I think the only people that need to know are the two people that are involved."
Bowen's disclosure about her sexuality unfolded during a conversation with her guest, Becca Tilley from Bachelor Nation.
Tilley shared her own journey, having been in a relationship with singer and actress Hayley Kiyoko for over four years.
She described falling for Kiyoko rapidly, without feeling the need to confine herself to a label.
Tilley elaborated, saying, "I'm just attracted to people, I'm attracted to men. I'm attracted to women – specifically Hayley, [who] I fell in love with."
The former Bachelor contestant also addressed the issue of coming out, expressing acceptance but also a desire for a future where such declarations are unnecessary, remarking, 'that one day people don't have to come out because it causes a lot of stress'.
She adds, "Life is already really hard. Falling in love should be a natural and beautiful thing that people don't have to explain to anybody."
When they decided to share their relationship publicly, they refrained from considering it a secret, instead opting for the term 'private'.
"I never wanted it to come across that she was a secret," Tilley explains, emphasizing that the idea of secrecy in relationships often carries connotations of shame, something she wished to avoid.
Julie Bowen then disclosed her own experiences, revealing her feelings for a woman, acknowledging, "I was in love with a woman for a period, but the feelings weren't reciprocated."
Bowen elaborates, stating, "It never really took off, so I never really had to challenge my concept of my s***ality," emphasizing the limitations of labels when it comes to human sexuality. What you do with your body should not be the first thing that we know about people or care about. That's your business."
