(Screenshot via YouTube.)

Kristen Stewart’s public declaration that she is “like, so gay” during her “Saturday Night Live” monologue was a drastic change from the way she used to conduct her personal life.

In an interview with The Sunday Times, the 26-year-old actress says it felt “important and topical” to finally be candid about her sexuality.

“Considering I had so many eyes on me, I suddenly realized [my private life] affects a greater number of people than just me,” Stewart says. “It was an opportunity to surrender a bit of what was mine, to make even one other person feel good about themselves.”

Stewart famously dated her “Twilight” co-star Robert Pattinson, a relationship that was tabloid fodder for its entirety, and says the public pressure made her guarded.

“If [my sexuality] didn’t seem like a relevant topic, like something that needed help, I would have kept my life private forever. But then I can’t walk outside holding somebody’s hand, as I’m followed everywhere,” Stewart says. “When I was dating Rob, the public was the enemy — and that is no way to live. It wasn’t this grand statement, ‘I was so confused! Now I’ve realized who I am!’ I have not been struggling.”

Stewart stars in the new film “Personal Shopper” which hits theaters Friday.