Julie Bowen has been open about her sexuality and revealed that she once had an interest in a woman.
But while the Modern Family actress was convinced she was in love, she still identified as straight.
‘I’m straight. I’ve always been straight. I was in love with a woman for a while but she didn’t love me back,” confessed Bowen, 52, while speaking with Becca Tilley for her Quitters podcast, as reported by People. “She liked women, but she didn’t like me that way.”
Revelation: Julie Bowen, 52, revealed that she once “fell in love with a woman for a while, but she didn’t love me back” during her Quitters podcast, where she and co-host Chad Sanders spoke with Becca Tilley
Speaking of her attraction to this woman, the Baltimore, Maryland native added, “It never really started, so I never really had to question my idea of my sexuality.”
Bowen also discussed putting labels on her own sexuality with The Bachelor alum, who only went public with her relationship with singer Hayley Kiyoko in May.
“I hope people don’t always have to go outside,” she told Tilley. “What you do with your body shouldn’t be the first thing we know or care about people — that’s up to you.”
Agreeing with Bowen’s feelings, Tilley then opened up about her own sexuality, revealing that she “never thought about a label” when it came to herself.
Podcast Confessions: Bowen opens up about sexuality while speaking to Tilley, best known for The Bachelor
Coming-out rules: “I hope people don’t always have to come out,” Bowen told Tilley. “What you do with your body shouldn’t be the first thing we know or care about people – that’s your business”; Bowen stars alongside Tilley alongside co-host Chad Sanders
“Hayley and I met and we just had this instant connection. I fell in love with her so quickly that I never thought about it like, ‘What does that mean? What’s my label? “For me, I’m just attracted to people,” the reality star explained.
“I have no problem coming out,” she added. “I just hope that one day people don’t have to come out because it causes a lot of stress and extra weight. Life is already very hard, falling in love should just be a natural, beautiful thing that doesn’t need to be explained to anyone.’
Turns out Tilley and Kiyoko had an instant connection when they met in 2018. However, the couple decided to keep their relationship a secret until finally deciding to come out in May 2022.
Her love: Bowen, 34, also discussed labeling her own sexuality with The Bachelor alum, who only went public with her relationship with singer Hayley Kiyoko, 31, in May
Open Book: “Hayley and I met and we just had this instant connection. I fell in love with her so quickly that I never thought about it like, ‘What does that mean? What’s my label? “I’m just attracted to people,” the reality star explained during the Quitters podcast
A clip of their conversation was then posted to Bowen’s Instagram page.
“Tonight’s Quitters guest is a former Bachelors contestant, current podcaster, influencer and truly lovely human being @beccatilley,” she wrote in the caption. “She has been incredibly open about her time on the show, life after as a public figure, and finding the love of her life. Watch us on YouTube via quitterspod.com, listen to us on @spotifypodcasts, or find us wherever you get your podcasts!’
Tilley also took to Instagram to promote her appearance on the Quitters podcast.
“I had the absolute pleasure of @quitterspodcast and chatting with @itsjuliebowen and @chadsand about sexuality, The Bachelor, being in a public relationship and more!” she wrote. “That was one of my favorite podcasts I’ve been on!”
Chatter Room: Bowen called Tilley a “really lovely human being” when promoting her appearance on the Quitters podcast on her Instagram page
Last January, while on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Bowen revealed to guest host Adam DeVine that she had “retired from dating” and was “very single.”
But she came clean, admitting that she came out of that self-imposed retirement for Harry Styles.
“The word on the street is that you have a little crush, girl,” DeVine joked while mentioning that she took part in Styles’ Fine Line tour last November.
‘You’re asking me to come out [dating] Retirement for Harry Styles?” Bowen replied. “Oh damn it. Him? Look at him!”
promo mode; Tilley, 34, also took to Instagram and pitched her appearance on Quitters, “one of my favorite podcasts I’ve been on.”
She then went into detail about what she liked best about the Watermelon Sugar singer-actress.
Later in the show, during the five-second rules game, Bowen revealed her three celebrity crushes were Styles, Timothee Chalamet, and DeVine.
Bowen was previously married to real estate investor and software developer Scott Phillips for 13 years. They had three children together: sons Oliver, 15, and twins John and Gustav, 13, before making the decision to split.
She filed for divorce in February 2018, which was finalized seven months later, in September of the same year.
‘Very Single: Earlier this year, while on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Bowen revealed to guest host Adam DeVine that she has ‘retired from dating’ and is ‘very single’; but confessed that she would come out of that retirement for one of her celebrity crushes: Harry Styles