‘The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo’ author Taylor Jenkins Reid publicly comes out as bisexual

Taylor Jenkins Reid, known for her iconic novels like ‘The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo’ (2017) and ‘Daisy Jones & the Six’ (2019), has publicly identified as bisexual, according to ‘Gay Times’.

In a recent Time interview, Reid discussed her soon-to-be-released ninth novel, ‘Atmosphere,’ an 80s sci-fi thriller about Joan Goodwin, an astrophysics professor training to become an astronaut.

At Houston’s Johnson Space Center, she encounters “an exceptional group of fellow candidates: Top Gun pilot Hank Redmond; mission specialists John Griffin and Lydia Danes; warmhearted Donna Fitzgerald; and Vanessa Ford, the magnetic and mysterious aeronautical engineer.”

According to the synopsis, “As the new astronauts prepare for their first flights, Joan finds a passion and a love she never imagined and begins to question everything she believes about her place in the observable universe.” The story notes that “in December of 1984, on mission STS-LR9, everything changes in an instant.”

Reportedly, ‘Atmosphere’ will include a queer love story between Joan and Vanessa, delving into the nuances of queer love in the 1980s, a time marked by societal stigma and institutional obstacles.

Reid reflected on her body of work and addressed the criticism encountered when authors write from perspectives different from their own. Time highlighted the backlash Reid received for ‘Carrie Soto Is Back’ (2022) and ‘The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo,’ featuring Latina and bisexual protagonists, respectively.

Reid, married to screenwriter Alex Jenkins Reid, described herself as a “very private” person who has often let readers form their own assumptions about her sexuality. As a bisexual woman, she admitted it “has been hard at times to see people dismiss me as a straight woman, but I also didn’t tell them the whole story.”

The best-selling author recalled her childhood experiences of being questioned about her appearance and behaviour, with people suggesting, “‘Oh, I get why you dress like a boy—you’re gay.’”

In her early twenties, Reid fell in love with a woman, but faced bi-erasure from those around her. During the late 90s, she noted that “nobody was talking about bisexuality” unless it was “to make fun of people.”

Reid explained, “The messages about bisexuality were you just want attention, or it was a stop on the way to gayville,” finding it painful because she knew herself but felt dismissed.

She shared that her husband compares a person’s identity to a house with multiple rooms.

“My attraction to women is a room in the house that is my identity,” she elaborated. “Alex understood this book was about me spending time in that room. He was so excited for me, like, ‘What a great way for you to express this side of you.’ And he helped me get the book to be as romantic and beautiful as it could be.”

The release date for ‘Atmosphere’ is set for June 3. As Reid’s novels continue to captivate readers, several adaptations are being developed for the screen.

In 2022, it was revealed that a film version of ‘The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo’ was in development by Netflix, with Reid as an executive producer, but details on the release date and casting remain unconfirmed.

Additionally, Hulu is working on a television adaptation of her 2021 novel, ‘Malibu Rising,’ following the success of Prime Video’s 2023 limited series ‘Daisy Jones & The Six,’ starring Riley Keough and Sam Claflin, which received critical acclaim and four Primetime Emmy Award nominations.