Los Angeles (AFP) - After decades of rumor and innuendo, one of animation's worst kept secrets has finally been confirmed: Scooby-Doo's Velma is lesbian.
Clips from Halloween special "Trick or Treat Scooby-Doo," released this week, show the brainy sleuth's glasses fogging up and her cheeks reddening when she first meets villainous costume designer Coco Diablo.
"OK, who am I kidding?I'm crushing big time Daphne!What do I do?What do I say?" she asks her friend in another scene.
The gang of amateur detectives in "Scooby Doo" have been solving mysteries since 1969, delighting generations of children as they unmask a villain who invariably declares he "would have gotten away with it, if it weren't for you pesky kids."
The titular oversized dog, who will do anything for a "Scooby snack," stumbles through crimes discovering clues with the help of friends, Shaggy, Daphne, Fred and Velma, who collectively make up "Mystery Incorporated."
Fans have long agreed that Velma is queer, but the new movie marks the first definitive confirmation.
Producers of the franchise's various series and movies have previously spoken about Velma Dinkley's sexuality, even if they were not able to make it explicit on screen.
In 2020 producer Tony Cervone posted an Instagram photo of Velma and another female character against a rainbow-themed Pride backdrop.
"We made our intentions as clear as we could ten years ago," he wrote in the caption at the time.
"Most of our fans got it.To those that didn't, I suggest you look closer."
Audie Harrison, director of the new movie, told NPR he did not expect Velma's same-sex attraction to be "so groundbreaking," and that he had "just set out to have fun with the comedy of an awkward teenage crush."
He added: "That being said, it does feel great to be a part of normalizing representation, especially with such a well-known franchise like Scooby-Doo!"
Fans took to social media to celebrate the news.
"OMG LESBIAN VELMA FINALLY CANON CANON IN THE MOVIES LETS GOOOOOO," said one tweet which received well over 200,000 likes.
"LET'S GO LESBIANS #Velma" wrote another.
