Heartstopper’s Joe Locke confirms sexuality for first time: ‘People have assumed’
“I’ve never specifically stated my sexuality”
Heartstopper actor Joe Locke has addressed his sexuality publicly in a new interview alongside co-star Kit Connor.
The pair play Charlie (Locke) and Nick (Connor) in the Netflix teen series which quickly became a huge hit when it landed last year.
The new season sees the couple navigate their relationship following the end of season one, as well as Nick’s process of coming out and Charlie’s mental health.
Ahead of season two, which debuted last Friday (4 August) the leading men spoke of their close bond and more in a Teen Vogue interview.
“I have been openly gay since I was, like, 12”
Elsewhere in the chat, Locke also commented on what sexuality he identifies as for the first time.
“People have assumed and written it, and I haven’t ever corrected anyone because I haven’t felt the need to. But I’ve never specifically stated my sexuality,” he commented.
He went on to add: “I have been openly gay since I was, like, 12.”
Locke also explained some of the sacrifices his loved ones have made due to his newfound fame. His mum made new social media accounts due to messages from strangers, with some even trying to pinpoint her location.
“It’s a weird guilt I sometimes feel that, by association, their lives are affected by choices in my life,” he said.
“It’s a mutual thing. I need to learn my boundaries and people need to learn their boundaries. Most attention comes from a really good place, and I hope I always appreciate that,” he added to the publication.
It comes after a recent interview with New York Times, again with his co-star, where Locke called the phenomenon of coming out “stupid.”
Locke shared that he first came out to his mum aged 12 which left him feeling “on top of the world.”
He then shared the news on Instagram before realising he wasn’t ready to share the news publicly.
“So I quickly deleted it and said my Instagram had been hacked. I went back in the closet for three years. I retold all my friends and they’re like, ‘Yeah, you told us two years ago.’”