Jessica Gunning opens up about sexuality after "Baby Reindeer" success

June is Pride Month every year, and one individual who has decided to share their sexual orientation with the world is Jessica Gunning, an actress known for the popular Netflix series "Baby Reindeer." This wasn't entirely new for her—her family had known since 2022.

However, Gunning has now decided to make it public by conveying the news on the show "Reign with Josh Smith":

"I came out actually in November '22. And that was a mega, mega thing for me. I'm surrounded by gays. Like, all my friends are gay, so it wasn't that I was I repressing anything. It was just that I didn't think I could be, and I still can't articulate it in the best way. But I realized I was a big old gay. I was like, that's what it's been. That's what it is," the actress said.

Gunning did not say whether the recent success influenced her decision, but she stated that she needed time and the right place to announce this information:

"I kind of was "Oh, that's what this has been; it's like a little secret I guess I've been keeping from myself even," she explained, adding after a moment: "But as soon as I realized, I was like 'No, it's that,' and that was like the most liberating thing."

"Baby Reindeer" is a series based on the multi-award-winone-persone-man theater play that was a hit at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. It tells the story of the distorted relationship between comedian Donny Dunn (Richard Gadd) and his stalker Martha (played by Jessica Gunning) and how this relationship affects him as he faces deeply hidden trauma.

Within a month of its premiere, the series was viewed by 55 million Netflix users, making it one of the biggest hits in the platform's history.