“Baby Reindeer” Star Jessica Gunning Reveals the 'Massive Moment' She Came Out as Gay
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"I realized I was a big old gay. I was like, that's what it's been. That's what it is," the Netflix star said
Leon Bennett/Getty Jessica Gunning' title='LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 01: Jessica Gunning attends the Los Angeles Special Screening and Photo Call for Netflix's "Baby Reindeer" at FYSEE at Sunset Las Palmas Studios on June 01, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.'>
Leon Bennett/Getty Jessica Gunning
Jessica Gunning is proud to embrace her sexuality. The Baby Reindeer star, 38, appeared as a guest on the Reign with Josh Smith podcast on Monday, June 3, and reflected on the “massive moment” when she was finally able to come out as gay.
Related: The True Story Behind Baby Reindeer: Where Is Martha Now?
In the Netflix hit series, which is inspired by a true story, creator Richard Gadd portrays himself as a character named Donny. He’s ultimately stalked by Gunning’s character, Martha, and sexually assaulted by another.
Ed Miller/Netflix Baby Reindeer - Production Still Image
During the podcast, Gunning opened up about the theme of self-love in the show, before delving into her own experience with the topic. “Do you feel like you're stepping into yourself in new ways now?” Smith asked.
Related: Baby Reindeer’s Real-Life Stalker Speaks Out, Says She's Considering Legal Action for Defamation
“Well, a big thing happened to me and maybe I'll just talk about it. I came out actually in November ‘22,” Gunning replied as Smith welcomed her to the club. “Thank you very much. Thank you. And that was a mega, mega thing for me because I, for so long, I'm surrounded by gays,” she said. “Like all my friends are gay. So it wasn't that I was, like, repressing anything. It was just that I didn't think I could be and I still can't articulate it in the best way.”
Ed Miller/Netflix Baby Reindeer, Jessica Gunning
The English actress stated that before long, her feelings were too strong to deny. “But yeah, I realized I was a big old gay. I was like, that's what it's been. That's what it is,” she said.Gunning added, “And that was like a massive moment where everything kind of clicked. And I made sense of myself then because for so long, I'd thought — and I'm a bigger woman — and I thought maybe it was to do with, like, my size. But I felt a little bit almost alien or like I was tagging along.”
Related: Baby Reindeer Stars Richard Gadd and Jessica Gunning Are All Smiles While Posing Together at London Event
She referred to her coming out as “the most liberating thing” that reminded her of a scene from the show that resonated with her. “There's a really emotional thing actually in Baby Reindeer where Donny talks about sleeping for the first time at his parents' house,” Gunning said. She then recalled how she was able to rest after her confession.Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.“I told my family in Christmas that year and I slept for like 10 hours at night. Yeah, because I kind of was like, ‘Oh, that's what this has been.’ It's been like a little secret, I guess, I've been keeping from myself even,” she said.Baby Reindeer is now streaming on Netflix.If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People.
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