Is Sophia Bush a lesbian?

The rainbow flag is far less stigmatized these days, but it’s still big news when rumors of a new celebrity member of the LGBTQ+ army begin to swirl.

This time around, those rumors are swirling around One Tree Hill star Sophia Bush. The 41-year-old has been a staple of our screens since the early 2000s when she starred in shows like Nip/Tuck, the aforementioned One Tree Hill, and Sabrina the Teenage Witch even as she juggled projects on the big screen. Her name is commonly tied to that early-career drama, thanks in large part to her presence as one of its leading ladies. Her chemistry with her on-screen peers was flawless across the show’s nine seasons, particularly when it came to Chad Michael Murray, the show’s main character and Bush’s eventual husband.

Short-lived husband, unfortunately. The pair fell victim to that persistent Hollywood curse during their early years on One Tree Hill, shacking up and eventually tying the knot. They were married for less than a year before a separation and eventual divorce ended their relationship permanently.

Bush’s long-ago marriage to Murray led many of her fans to believe that she was straight, but the star’s latest relationship is throwing that status into question. A recent date with former soccer player Ashlyn Harris is sparking rumors of a new lesbian in our midst, but people may be reacting too quickly.

What is Sophia Bush’s sexuality?

Sophia Bush doesn’t have Pete Davidson levels of dating history, but she has been married twice, and both times to men. All of her previous relationships — barring Harris, of course — were with men, from flings with Jon Foster and James Lafferty to lengthy stints with Austin Nichols and Jesse Lee Soffer. That dating history doesn’t necessarily tell us anything, however — remember, society traditionally assumes that we are all straight and treats us as such. That means that many LGBTQ+ people don’t discover their true attractions until later in life.

If you don’t believe me, ask my mother, who was married — yes, to a man — for 22 years before finally revealing herself as a lesbian. It takes time to work past the stigmas society roots in us, and to work up the courage to try something outside of the typical expectation. So just because Harris is Bush’s first female partner doesn’t necessarily mean she’s not gay, it just makes it minutely less likely. She may be bisexual or simply curious, or a dozen other things that she simply hasn’t discovered yet.

Regardless of where she lands on the sexuality scale, it’s honestly none of our business. She and Harris have gone on a single date (as far as we know), for god’s sake — let’s not make mountains out of mole hills. Perhaps, following a few more dates with Harris, Bush will realize how much time she’s lost dating men. Perhaps she’ll realize she prefers women. We don’t really know and, so long as she’s happy, should we really care?