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Stranger Things’ Shannon Purser Comes Out as Bisexual: ‘It’s Something I’m Still Processing’

Stranger Things star Shannon Purser has come out as bisexual, one week after admitting she’s suffered “anxiety” over her sexuality.

The actress, who had a breakout role as Barb on the hit show and now stars on Riverdale, posted a candid message on Twitter on Tuesday, April 18, and revealed she is still trying to come to terms with her feelings.

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“I don’t normally do this, but I figure now is as good a time as any to get personal,” she wrote. “I’ve only just recently come out as bisexual to my family and friends. It’s something I am still processing and trying to understand and I don’t like talking about it too much.”

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Purser, 19, penned the emotional message in response to backlash over a tweet she has now deleted, that was directed at fans of Riverdale who had been “shipping” two female characters, Veronica and Betty, in the show.

She was accused of “queerbaiting” and felt she needed to clarify her comments and apologize too.

“I’m very very new to the LGBT community. I have never heard the term ‘queerbaiting’ in my life until today. That being said, I have never ever wanted to alienate anyone and my tweet was thoughtless. I wasn’t referring to all the beronica shippers, just the ones who had been particularly cruel to me personally. Either way, it wasn’t a wise or kind thing to say and I’m disappointed in myself.”

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On April 11, she revealed she’s struggled with her sexuality and admitted: “I know what it’s like to have anxiety about it. Especially trying to come to terms with it and my faith. It can be really scary.”

Purser previously opened up to Us Weekly about overcoming self-harming and depression and said: “I felt so isolated and so unworthy of love.”

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But through therapy and her strong religious faith she was able to recover and hasn’t self-harmed since she was 15.

“The most evil and insidious thing about mental illness is that it isolates us and makes us feel so different that we think no one can possibly relate,” declared Purser “In the end, that can be how it destroys us if we don’t let people into our struggle. And as cliché as it sounds, if you really make the effort, you can get better and you can live not just a hard life, but a beautiful life.”

Check out her full interview with Us here.

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