Tessa Thompson likes men and women. In a new interview with the luxury fashion site Net-A-Porter, Thompson spoke openly about her sexuality and her rumored relationship with Janelle Monáe. “I’m attracted to men and also to women. If I bring a woman home, [or] a man, [in my family] we don’t even have to have the discussion,†Thompson said. In Thor: Ragnarok, Thompson played a bisexual Norse goddess-warrior, Valkyrie.
Tessa said that she and Monáe, whom she has long been rumored to be in a relationship with, are close, but didn’t confirm that they’re in a relationship. The Sorry to Bother You actress talked about the paradox of wanting to be a visible leader, but also maintaining the pair’s privacy:
“It’s tricky, because Janelle and I are just really private people and we’re both trying to navigate how you reconcile wanting to have that privacy and space, and also wanting to use your platform and influence,†says Thompson … “That was something I was conscientious of in terms of this declaration around Janelle and myself. I want everyone else to have that freedom and support that I have from my loved ones,†she continues. “But so many people don’t. So, do I have a responsibility to talk about that? Do I have a responsibility to say in a public space that this is my person?â€
Thompson says it doesn’t bother her if fans wonder about her relationship with Monáe: “Janelle and I love each other deeply. We’re so close, we vibrate on the same frequency. If people want to speculate about what we are, it doesn’t bother me.â€