Sophia Bush Slams “Home Wrecker” Rumors Amid Ashlyn Harris Romance: “My partners have known what I’m into”

Almost moments after Sophia Bush was discovered in a relationship with former US soccer player Ashlyn Harris, the rumor mills churned out enough sensational gossip to drown out the voice of reason of an entire population. But the actress was steadfast in her resolve to not let the outside world color her newfound sense of self and her ability to feel alive again.

Despite accusations of being a homewrecker, Bush found it important to clarify her place as a public figure. In a highly personal essay, the actress/activist details the severe peaks and troughs and the emotional roller coaster that finally anchored her in a space of love and self-esteem.

Although Bush’s statement may serve as a defense against the trolls and a vindication for the actress after a year’s worth of online abuse, her words do find their target by defining her as an individual finding her own path out of trauma and toward closure.

Sophia Bush Relives the Fallout of Her Marriage

As a figure who has lived in the spotlight for most of her life, the line between public and private often becomes blurry until the two aspects begin co-existing in and around oneself. However, as time wore on, Sophia Bush found it increasingly difficult to double down on her life as a married woman with a husband who “didn’t necessarily speak the same emotional language I did.” 

As such, on the day of her first marriage anniversary, the mounting pressure of social expectation coupled with the self-realization of how much she didn’t fit into this marriage made Bush physically throw up after posting a customary tribute that hid her trauma behind eloquent words and dazzling smiles. In the aftermath of her separation, Bush claims:

“I finally feel like I can breathe. I don’t think I can explain how profound that is. I feel like I was wearing a weighted vest for who knows how long. I hadn’t realized how heavy it was until I finally just put it down.” 

And despite time and fame not being on her side, the actress was glad to have come out of the tunnel a better and healthier person. And even as Bush points towards her trolls and declares – “I have real joy. It took me 41 years to get here” – the support of her family and loved ones is truly what she covets and treasures.

Sophia Bush Addresses “Home Wrecker” Accusations

Soon after Sophia Bush filed for divorce, the shared experience of separation brought her closer to Ashlyn Harris, who although a part of her friend group had begun to stand out as something more than just a friend. On the surface, others pointed out how the pair finished each other’s sentences, and in their more intimate moments, the pair found solace in similar things.

In her interview with Glamour magazine, Bush revealed the journey that the journey that went from “most surreal experiences of my life thus far” to an online barrage of vicious accusations and vitriol:

“There was a lot that quickly turned ugly too. People looking in from the outside weren’t privy to just how much time it took, how many painful conversations were had. A lot of effort was made to be graceful with other people’s processing, their time and obligations, and their feelings.

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. There were blatant lies. Violent threats. 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.” 

As society clamps down on Bush and her sense of freedom, her will to plod her way through the online sludge gets stronger after finding extraordinary support from her family.