Sophia Bush Sets the Record Straight on Relationship with Ashlyn Harris

Sophia Bush is clearing the air on her romance with Ashlyn Harris, with whom she was linked after her failed marriage to Grant Hughes.

In an essay for Glamour, Bush addressed the false rumors about them. She said, “There was a lot that quickly turned ugly. People looking in from the outside weren't privy to just how much time it took, how many painful conversations were had. What felt like seconds after I started to see what was in front of me, the online rumor mill began to spit in the ugliest ways."

Calling the cheating rumors “blatant lies,” she added, “There were accusations of being a home-wrecker. The ones who said I'd left my ex because I suddenly realized I wanted to be with women — my partners have known what I'm into for as long as I have (so that's not it, y'all, sorry!)."

“The idea that I left my marriage based on some hysterical rendezvous — that, to be crystal-clear, never happened — rather than having taken over a year to do the most soul crushing work of my life? It feels brutal," Bush emphasized. "Just because I didn't want to process my realizations in real time on social media and spell them out for the world doesn't mean the journey wasn't long and thoughtful and exhaustive."

While Sophia admitted it was “painful” to be “picked apart by clueless strangers,” she noted, "Everyone that matters to me knows what's true and what isn't. But even still there's a part of me that's a ferocious defender, who wants to correct the record piece by piece."

Despite the chatter about their relationship, Bush is feeling like she “can breathe” after coming out as queer.

She shared, "I am so lucky to be here, now. I have real joy. It took me 41 years to get here."

“I think I've always known that my sexuality exists on a spectrum. Right now, I think the word that best defines it is queer. I can't say it without smiling, actually. And that feels pretty great,” she went on.

Of their relationship, Bush wrote, “Falling in love with her has sutured some of my own childhood wounds and made me so much closer to my own mother. Seeing Ashlyn choose to not simply survive but thrive for her babies has been the most beautiful thing I've ever witnessed a friend do. And now I get to love her. How lucky am I?"