Actress Shannon Purser, best known for playing Barb on Stranger Things and Ethel on Riverdale, has come out as bisexual.

Purser spoke about her sexuality on Twitter after some fans complained that a kiss that between two female characters on Riverdale was an example of “queerbaiting”.

The kiss between the characters Veronica and Betty has been criticised because the show has since declined to explore their feelings for one another any further. Despite this, some viewers have continued to “ship” the two characters as “Beronica”.

After Purser posted a tweet about “angry Beronica stans” – which she has since deleted – fans responded by calling out Riverdale for its seemingly problematic lesbian scene. This compelled Purser to open up about her own sexuality.

“I don’t normally do this, but I figure now is just as good a time as any to get personal,” she wrote. “I’ve only just recently come out as bisexual to my family and friends. It’s something I am still processing and trying to understand and I don’t like talking about it too much.”

She continued: “I’m very very new to the LGBT community. I have never heard the term ‘queer-baiting’ in my life until today. That being said, I have never ever wanted to alienate anyone and my tweet was thoughtless. I wasn’t referring to all the Beronica shippers, just the ones who had been particularly cruel to me personally.”

Read her full statement below.

Purser has also shared her views on another Netflix show, 13 Reasons Why, with her Twitter followers this week.

“I would advise against watching 13 Reasons Why if you currently struggle with suicidal thoughts or self harm/have undergone sexual assault,” she tweeted. “There are some very graphic scenes in there that could easily trigger painful memories and feelings. Please protect yourselves.”

The post Shannon Purser, actress who plays Stranger Things’ Barb, comes out as bisexual appeared first on NME.

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