Alexandra Shipp attends the premiere of 20th Century Fox’s Dark Phoenix. (Rich Fury/Getty Images)
X-Men star Alexandra Shipp came out as a member of the LGBT+ community Wednesday (3 June) to celebrate Pride Month.
To her some 360,000 Instagram followers, Shipp, 29, explained how she had long kept her sexuality a secret until last year.
But now the actor, who portrayed the weather-controlling mutant Storm as well as Abby Suso in Love, Simon, is encouraging everyone who can – no matter their age – to live their “incredible” truths.
“I didn’t come out until I was 28,” she wrote in the post.
“Though I don’t believe in regrets, this would definitely be #1 for myself. I denied denied denied.
“I struggled with not only my sexuality, but my femininity. I was scared it was too late. I was scared I wasn’t going to be able to get work.
“I was scared no one would ever love me. Scared. Scared. Scared. It’s exhausting being scared all the time.
“It’s exhausting chasing other people’s ideas and opinions of who you should be.
“Today I’m happy in ways I don’t think my kid self could imagine. I get to be exactly who I want to be EVERY F*****G DAY and it feels incredible!
Reminding her fans that it’s “never too late to be you”, Alexandra Shipp reflected on how as much as the community gets “a month”, to her, she’ll always be full of pride.
“If I don’t work because of a flawed, racist and homophobic system, then it was never the right thing for me,” she continued.
“I KNOW multiple someone’s love me and I’m so fortunate and grateful for the love they show me on a daily basis.
“I’m not denying anything anymore. I’m not scared anymore. I have pride in who I am and what I’m doing on this planet. I am myself and I love LOVE.
“Sure, we get a month. But for the past 3 years and for the rest of my life, I’ll be celebrating every day.
“Because I choose me.”