Sophia Bush Confirms Ashlyn Harris Romance, Comes Out As Queer In Moving Essay

Sophia Bush says she finally feels like she “can breathe.”

The “One Tree Hill” alum wrote a powerful essay published in Glamour Thursday in which she reveals that she now identifies as queer and confirms that she’s in a romantic relationship with former U.S. soccer player Ashlyn Harris .

“I think I’ve always known that my sexuality exists on a spectrum,” Bush wrote. “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.”

Bush said she’s “experienced so much safety, respect, and love in the queer community” both as an ally and member.

“I sort of hate the notion of having to come out in 2024. But I’m deeply aware that we are having this conversation in a year when we’re seeing the most aggressive attacks on the LGBTQIA+ community in modern history,” she wrote. “There were more than 500 anti-LGBTQIA+ bills proposed in state legislatures in 2023 , so for that reason I want to give the act of coming out the respect and honor it deserves.”

She explained that coming out and finding love has been revolutionary for her mental health.

“I finally feel like I can breathe. I don’t think I can explain how profound that is,” Bush wrote. “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 also took the opportunity to clear up rumors that she and Harris began their relationship on nefarious terms.

Bush was married to Grant Hughes for a little more than a year before she filed for divorce in August 2023. Harris filed for divorce from her wife and former U.S. Women’s National Team teammate Ali Krieger in September 2023.The athlete and former couple share two children.