Archive · 19 Aug 2026
Gillian Anderson discusses secretive same-sex high-school relationship and identity
Gillian Anderson talked about having a relationship with an older girl when she was in high school.
She said they kept it secret because it felt wrong to people around them.
Anderson also dated boys and did not know how to describe her feelings.
She said a boyfriend found out and ended their relationship.
At age 11, she had moved from London to Grand Rapids, Michigan.
She felt different from many people there and had low self-esteem.
Anderson said she once thought relationships with women would only be temporary.
Now, she says she would feel the same about her partner if that person were a woman.
Gillian Anderson said she had a secretive same-sex relationship with an older girl in high school.
She said the relationship felt illicit and had to be hidden from others.
Anderson said she dated boys too and lacked the language to understand her feelings at the time.
She recalled struggling with low self-esteem after moving from London to conservative Grand Rapids, Michigan, at age 11.
Anderson said she now believes she would feel the same about her current partner if that partner were a woman.
- Who
- Actor Gillian Anderson.
- What
- She discussed a secretive same-sex relationship she had with an older girl during high school and reflected on her identity.
- When
- The interview was published on August 16; Anderson said the relationship occurred during high school.
- Where
- The interview was published by The Sunday Times; the article does not specify where it took place.
- Why
- Anderson was discussing her past relationships and how she understood her feelings at the time.
- Relationship
- Anderson said she dated an older girl while in high school.
- Relationship context
- She described it as secretive and illicit and said they had to hide it.
- Age at relocation
- Anderson was 11 when her family moved from London to Grand Rapids, Michigan.
- Teenage identity
- She said she dated boys and did not have the language to understand her same-sex relationship.
- Earlier disclosure
- Anderson also discussed having a long-term relationship with a girl in a 2012 interview with Out magazine.
- Current perspective
- She said she believes she would feel the same about her current partner if that partner were a woman.