Kristen Stewart Finally Addresses The Truth Of Her Decision To Come Out On Air
By Fiyin Olowokandi on February 2, 2026 at 7:15 PM EST
Nearly a decade after making one of the most defining choices of her life, Kristen Stewart is opening up about why she finally chose to live out loud.
In 2017, the "Twilight Saga" star announced during an "SNL" monologue that she was "so gay," while directly addressing Donald Trump. For Stewart, that epic moment was about freedom and refusing to hide who she is.
Stewart has also been vocal about her opinions on gender equality in the movie industry, revealing the demanding way actresses are treated.
Kristen Stewart Says Coming Out Meant Refusing to Live a 'Partial Life'
In a new interview airing February 2 on ABC News Live Prime with Linsey Davis, Stewart revisited her decision to come out, explaining that it came from a desire to live without limits.
"It was less about sharing the details of my relationship," Stewart said in a teaser obtained by People Magazine, "and more so acknowledging that there are people that don't get full access to being alive because they're hiding."
The 35-year-old actress reflected on how people she trusted urged her to keep her sexuality private, insisting it would benefit her career. However, she rejected the idea.
"I was like, 'So you want me to live a partial life? And you want me to uphold, perpetuate, and sustain a system that excludes people?' And I just can't do that," Stewart admitted.
She shared that there was already speculation about her romantic life before she came out, but she didn't want to "hide from the world we live in."
Instead, she wanted to help make the world more "open and accepting," and believed being honest about who she is could do exactly that.
Kristen Stewart Tied The Knot With Long-time Girlfriend In An Intimate WeddingÂ
While Stewart revisited her decision to come out, she has since gotten married to her girlfriend, Dylan Meyer, in private nuptials in Los Angeles.
As The Blast previously reported, the pair secured their marriage license at a courthouse before having a ceremony at Stewart's home with guests like Ashley Benson and her husband, Brandon Davis.
Stewart had always gushed about walking down the aisle with her partner and previously teased during an appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" that they would have a wedding at the Oscars.
Inside Kristen Stewart's Relationship With Dylan Meyer
Although Stewart and Meyer got married last year, the duo had been engaged in 2021, with Stewart revealing that Meyer popped the question, even though she wanted to be the one to ask.
They first met on a movie set in 2013, then reconnected six years later. In 2019, romance rumors began swirling after Stewart was spotted with Meyer shortly following her split from ex-girlfriend Stella Maxwell.
The couple went Instagram-official later that year and haven't shied away from public displays of affection since.
During a past appearance on "The Howard Stern Show," Stewart recalled the moment she first told Meyer she loved her.
"The first time I told her I love her, it was really late, and we were in some shitty bar, and her friends were there or whatever, and they walked out," Stewart told Stern at that time, according to People Magazine.
Kristen Stewart Addresses Gender Gap In HollywoodÂ
When Stewart is not recalling her decision to come out or gushing over her relationship, she's addressing bolder issues in Hollywood.
At the Academy and Chanel's 2025 Women's Luncheon in November, the "Spencer" star gave an explosive speech addressing what she called the "Hollywood boys club."
According to The Blast, Stewart admitted she once believed change was underway in the way women were now received in the industry. However, her experience with her directorial debut, "Chronology of Water," proved otherwise.
She criticized the industry's "boys' club business model," which pretends to embrace women while undermining their voices and draining their creative power.
The 'Snow White' Actress Says Actresses Are 'Treated Like Sh-t'
A week ago, Stewart took another bold stance when she compared the treatments she received as an actress versus as a director and said the difference was contrastingly clear.
"Actresses get treated like sh-t," she said bluntly, according to The Blast, adding that many people assume acting requires little intelligence or skill.
On the other hand, when she sat down to talk about directing her new film, people talked to her like she had a "brain." She recalled a conversation with a male actor she deeply admired, noting how men often frame directors as near-mythical figures while reducing female actors to "puppets."
