Kristen Stewart Reflects on Coming Out and Living Fully

Kristen Stewart is opening up about why she chose to publicly come out nearly nine years ago — and why she has no regrets.

The 35-year-old actress and director, best known for the Twilight films, sat down for a new interview on ABC News Live Prime with Linsey Davis, airing Monday, Feb. 2. During the conversation, Stewart reflected on her now-famous 2017 monologue while hosting Saturday Night Live, where she openly said she was gay and directly addressed President Donald Trump.

At the time, Stewart made headlines by declaring, “I’m so gay, dude.” Looking back, she says the moment was never about sharing intimate details of her relationships.

“It was about acknowledging that some people don’t get to live fully because they’re hiding,” Stewart explained in a clip shared exclusively with People.

She recalled being told by people she trusted that her career might be easier if she didn’t publicly hold her girlfriend’s hand. That idea didn’t sit right with her.

“So you want me to live a partial life?” she said. “You want me to support a system that excludes people? I just can’t do that.”

Stewart’s personal life had long been under intense media scrutiny, especially during her early 2010s relationship with Twilight co-star Robert Pattinson. During her SNL monologue, she even referenced the many tweets Trump posted about her and Pattinson back in 2012.

In the ABC News interview, Stewart said it was already “really obvious” what was happening when her love life was constantly being discussed in the media — even before she came out.

“I didn’t want to commodify those details,” she said. “But I also didn’t want to hide from the world we live in.”

She added that she wanted to help shape a more open and accepting culture. “I was already holding my girlfriend’s hand in public,” Stewart said. “At that point, it felt like a statement that might unlock other people’s doors.”

In her personal life, Stewart began dating screenwriter Dylan Meyer in 2019. The couple married in April 2025. Speaking recently at the Variety Creative Impact Awards, Stewart called 2025 “the craziest year of my life,” noting that both she and Meyer released new films as directors.

With her signature humor, she summed it up simply: “I was so carbonated over the last year. I need to get flat… I need to go fizz out.”

Today, Stewart says she’s proud she chose honesty — not just for herself, but for others who might still be afraid to live out loud.