Arts & Entertainment
‘Stranger Things’ star Shannon Purser comes out as bisexual
the actress revealed her sexuality after a “Riverdale” fandom spat
(Shannon Purser as Barb in ‘Stranger Things.’ Screenshot via YouTube.)
Shannon Purser, best known for her roles as Barb on “Stranger Things” and Ethel Muggs on “Riverdale,” has come out as bisexual.
The 19-year-old actress revealed her sexuality on Twitter after fans of “Riverdale” accused the show of queerbaiting. Two of the main characters, Betty and Veronica, share a kiss in an earlier episode of the show. Nothing romantic has been explored between the two characters since and fans of the relationship, known as “Beronica”, have taken to social media to tweet their disappointment.
In a now deleted tweet Purser mentioned, “angry Beronica stans” which caused “Riverdale” fans to share their issues with the kissing scene. Purser addressed the fighting in the fandom saying she was “disappointed with hateful people.”
Ships are great, being horrible to people who don’t ship your ship is not.
— Shannon Purser (@shannonpurser) April 18, 2017
Lemme clarify, not angry at beronica stans. Not even angry at rightfully upset beronica stans. Disappointed with hateful people. Peace ✌?
— Shannon Purser (@shannonpurser) April 18, 2017
She eventually opened up about her own sexuality in a note posted on Twitter.
“I don’t normally do this, but I figure now is just 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,” Purser writes.
“I’m very very new to the LGBT community. I have never heard the term ‘queer-baiting’ 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,” Purser continues.
— Shannon Purser (@shannonpurser) April 19, 2017
Earlier this month, Purser revealed she had been experiencing anxiety reconciling her faith and her sexuality.
“Getting comfortable with your sexuality is a process. It’s going to be ok. I wish I’d known that sooner,” Purser tweeted,
“Riverdale” airs on Thursdays at 9 p.m. on CW.
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(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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Queer highlights of the 2026 Critics Choice Awards: Aunt Gladys, that ‘Heated Rivalry’ shoutout and more
Amy Madigan’s win in the supporting actress category puts her in serious contention to win the Oscar for ‘Weapons’
From Chelsea Handler shouting out Heated Rivalry in her opening monologue to Amy Madigan proving that horror performances can (and should) be taken seriously, the Critics Choice Awards provided plenty of iconic moments for queer movie fans to celebrate on the long road to Oscar night.
Handler kicked off the ceremony by recapping the biggest moments in pop culture last year, from Wicked: For Good to Sinners. She also made room to joke about the surprise hit TV sensation on everyone’s minds: “Shoutout to Heated Rivalry. Everyone loves it! Gay men love it, women love it, straight men who say they aren’t gay but work out at Equinox love it!”
The back-to-back wins for Jacob Elordi in Frankenstein and Amy Madigan in Weapons are notable, given the horror bias that awards voters typically have. Aunt Gladys instantly became a pop culture phenomenon within the LGBTQ+ community when Zach Cregger’s hit horror comedy released in August, but the thought that Madigan could be a serious awards contender for such a fun, out-there performance seemed improbable to most months ago. Now, considering the sheer amount of critics’ attention she’s received over the past month, there’s no denying she’s in the running for the Oscar.
“I really wasn’t expecting all of this because I thought people would like the movie, and I thought people would dig Gladys, but you love Gladys! I mean, it’s crazy,” Madigan said during her acceptance speech. “I get [sent] makeup tutorials and paintings. I even got one weird thing about how she’s a sex icon also, which I didn’t go too deep into that one.”
Over on the TV side, Rhea Seehorn won in the incredibly competitive best actress in a drama series category for her acclaimed performance as Carol in Pluribus, beating out the likes of Emmy winner Britt Lower for Severance, Carrie Coon for The White Lotus, and Bella Ramsey for The Last of Us. Pluribus, which was created by Breaking Bad’s showrunner Vince Gilligan, has been celebrated by audiences for its rich exploration of queer trauma and conversion therapy.
Jean Smart was Hack’s only win of the night, as Hannah Einbinder couldn’t repeat her Emmy victory in the supporting actress in a comedy series category against Janelle James, who nabbed a trophy for Abbott Elementary. Hacks lost the best comedy series award to The Studio, as it did at the Emmys in September. And in the limited series category, Erin Doherty repeated her Emmy success in supporting actress, joining in yet another Adolescence awards sweep.
As Oscar fans speculate on what these Critics Choice wins mean for future ceremonies, we have next week’s Golden Globes ceremony to look forward to on Jan. 11.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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