Jonathan Bailey came out to his friends and family in his 20s, but he can recall people speculating about his sexual orientation from a young age.
“I think other people understood my sexuality before I was even aware of it,” Bailey, 36, said during an interview with British Vogue published on Thursday, December 12.
The Wicked actor recounted one instance when a teacher made a derogatory comment about him in front of the whole class.
“I was having trouble with my work and he said, ‘Well, if you weren’t so busy being a fairy you’d understand,’” Bailey said.
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Although he recalled asking friends at a sleepover whether any of them were gay because he “really wanted to see if everyone else was on the same page,” Bailey went on to date a girl for two years in his early 20s.
“It’s interesting with the binary, where you’re perceived to be either this or that. That’s how I saw it at the time, but there are so many nuances to it. My experience of that relationship was not that I was in the shadows,” he said. “She remains one of my best friends.”
Bailey previously spoke about how he once feared his sexuality might impact his ability to book certain acting roles. During a 2022 interview with GQ, he recalled an actor friend getting the advice, “‘There’s two things we don’t want to know: if you’re an alcoholic or if you’re gay.’”
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While he initially “thought that in order to be happy, I needed to be straight,” Bailey soon realized that he had no interest in hiding.
“I reached a point where I thought, ‘F— this, I’d much prefer to hold my boyfriend’s hand in public or be able to put my own face picture on Tinder and not be so concerned about that than getting a part,’” he said.
Bailey told British Vogue on Thursday that he’s “always been a confident hand-holder in relationships,” no matter who sees.
“I had a boyfriend who wasn’t experienced at holding hands in public. We got heckled in London. But that kind of behavior is now outweighed by the smiles you get,” he said.
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Despite his comfort with showing affection in public, Bailey emphasized that he was “not discussing” whether he is currently in a relationship. However, he did share that he wants to be a dad someday.
“I can’t bring children into my lifestyle now,” he said, citing his busy schedule. “I want to make sure I’m going to be present. I’m reading books on adoption. I might coparent with a woman, but I’m thinking it will be with a man.”
Bailey previously shared that there was “a lovely man” in his life during a December 2023 interview with The Evening Standard. He didn’t reveal any other details about the relationship.
“It’s not secret, but it’s private,” he said. “Having a private life is, for me, completely critical. I don’t know if I would be able to be as confident to speak out on other things if I felt that my whole life was up for grabs.”
