Becca Tilley has insisted she’s never been ashamed of her relationship with Hayley Kiyoko.
The former Bachelor contestant spoke to The Cut about her relationship with the singer, who she has been reportedly dating for four years, although she didn’t publicly reveal their relationship until May this year.
“It might be a fine line, but I don’t want anyone to think I was ashamed or embarrassed,” Becca said of her romance with Hayley. “That was really important to me.”
Becca also noted she always introduced Hayley as her girlfriend to friends, family, and real-life fans of her podcast Scrubbing In.
She continued, “When we’re walking around, we’re holding hands. If I meet someone who’s a podcast listener, I’m like, ‘This is my girlfriend, Hayley.’ It’s never been, ‘This is my friend.'”
Since the pair never made a statement, Becca said, “People just thought I was great friends with Hayley.”
Becca did admit that she was afraid to come out to her fans, but said of their reaction to the news: “I didn’t even give people a chance to be more open-minded than I thought. People were just rooting for me to find love. They just were rooting for my happiness.”
Page Six reports that the couple met at a party in 2018.