The Good Place actress Jameela Jamil has come out as queer on Twitter after facing backlash for taking on a judge role on the TV show Legendary.
On Wednesday afternoon, Jamil tweeted a lengthy and open note that read, "Twitter is brutal. This is why I never officially came out as queer. I added a rainbow to my name when I felt ready a few years ago, as it’s not easy within the south Asian community to be accepted, and I always answered honestly if ever straight-up asked about it on Twitter.
"But I kept it low because I was scared of the pain of being accused of performative bandwagon jumping, over something that caused me a lot of confusion, fear and turmoil when I was a kid.”'
Jamil, 33, went on to write, “It’s also scary as an actor to openly admit your sexuality, especially when you’re already a brown female in your thirties. This is absolutely not how I wanted it to come out.”
Jamil is famously outspoken on social media, although she hasn't spoken out about her sexuality previously. She is currently in a relationship with singer James Blake, who she has been dating since 2015.
Blake responded to Jamil's statement in a supportive tweet, which read, "I love you."
She faced backlash after she was announced as a judge on Legendary, a reality show featuring 10 voguing houses competing.
Rapper Megan Thee Stallion and stylist to the stars Law Roach are also judges. After her role was announced, people on Twitter voiced their concerns and wrote that someone who identified as LGBTQ should be in the judging role instead, listing Billy Porter or Indya Moore as possibilities. Both are in the scripted drama Pose, which is about the ballroom community in the '80s.
She went on to say that she won't be on Twitter so she can avoid reading negative comments.
"I know that my being queer doesn’t qualify me as ballroom. But I have privilege and power and a large following to bring this show… Sometimes it takes those with more power to help a show get off the ground so we can elevate marginalized stars that deserve the limelight and give them a chance.”
She goes on to write, “I am just trying to use my platform and privilege to make sure important stories are told about groups that society needs to know about/accept/celebrate.
"I had concerns at first about joining as on-camera talent, as I’m not from the world of Ballroom. But to get these shows about minorities made, sometimes you need mainstream names that can bring their followers to watch and support shows.
“That is what Megan Thee Stallion and I hope to bring to the ballroom community. Support, love, respect and allyship," she explained.
