Everything Sophia Bush Has Said About Her Sexuality
Sophia Bush's relationship history has been a hot topic ever since she tied the knot with Chad Michael Murray while filming "One Tree Hill" in 2005. But the former "it couple" could only sustain their happiness for a few months before things went kaput. By 2006, the co-stars were divorced and living separate lives. Unfortunately, that didn't stop Sophia Bush and Chad Michael Murray's marriage from being the source of gossip for years after they split. Bush would go on to date other actors, including James Lafferty, Austin Nichols and Jesse Lee Soffer, before marrying entrepreneur Grant Hughes in June 2022. That marriage only lasted 13 months as Bush filed for divorce in August 2023.
Despite enduring a string of public and painful breakups, Bush has never shied away from sharing her views on love. While speaking with Stylist in 2019, the actor admitted to being a "serial monogamist" to her own detriment. "What I realize, when I look back at the way I have operated... and stuck in relationships that were not good for me... I now look back and go, 'Oh, it's not my fault, it's not their fault,'" said Bush before noting that some of the guys "f***ed up." Since Bush started dating soccer star Ashlyn Harris in October 2023, she's turned the conversation more inward to her sexuality and where she falls on that spectrum.
Sophia Bush identifies as queer
Sophia Bush closed out April 2024 with a candid personal essay for Glamour, where she detailed her emotional state as she decided to divorce her second husband, Grant Hughes. The former "One Tree Hill" star disclosed a long, painful fertility journey and a bout with a serious mystery illness. Bush also used the piece to clear up misconceptions about her sexuality and her relationship with Ashlyn Harris, who filed for divorce from Ali Krieger around the same time that Harris and Bush started dating. Bush revealed that her previous partners knew she was into women. "My partners have known what I'm into for as long as I have," wrote Bush.
The actor also revealed that, while she doesn't like the notion of having to "come out" in 2024, she identifies as queer. "I've experienced so much safety, respect, and love in the queer community, as an ally all of my life, that, as I came into myself, I already felt it was my home," continued Bush. "I think I've always known that my sexuality exists on a spectrum. Right now I think the word that best defines it is queer. I can't say it without smiling, actually. And that feels pretty great." Later in the piece, Bush recounted a moment where her mother defended her to a friend who didn't believe her daughter could possibly be gay. "Oh honey, I think she's pretty gay," said her mom. "And she's happy."
Sophia Bush feels free now
Sophia Bush's relationship with her girlfriend Ashlyn Harris hasn't exactly generated positive press for either star. Since the first reports of their romance surfaced, fans have theorized that, based on the timing of their respective splits, infidelity or betrayal had colored their relationship. Ali Krieger also implied that her divorce from Harris came out of nowhere. "I found out at training," Krieger revealed during a cover story with Self Magazine. "I was on the field. And I came off the field, in the locker room, and I was obviously devastated." Despite the cheating narrative taking shape around Bush's new relationship, she feels freer than she's ever been.
"I finally feel like I can breathe," Bush wrote in Glamour. "I don't think I can explain how profound that is. I feel like I was wearing a weighted vest for who knows how long. I hadn't realized how heavy it was until I finally just put it down." Bush later added that she could finally feel her legs, and the sensation makes her "want to cry and laugh at the same time." Bush also expressed gratitude for the support that she's received from her family while acknowledging that she's "so lucky" because many others have not experienced that same level of acceptance.