‘Stranger Things’, ‘Riverdale’ star comes out as bisexual
“It’s something I am still processing," Shannon Purser wrote in a Twitter post.
By Ross Semple
Shannon Purser, who rose to fame as breakout character Barb on the Netflix series Stranger Things, has revealed that she is bisexual.
19-year-old Purser, who currently portrays Ethel Muggs on the teen series Riverdale, made some fans angry on Twitter by appearing to dismiss those who ‘ship’ two female characters on the show.
She referred to “angry Beronica stans” in a now-deleted tweet to her co-star Cole Sprouse. ‘Beronica’ is a portmanteau used to denote a desired romance between female Riverdale characters Betty and Veronica.
Responding to the backlash, Shannon wrote: “I don’t normally do this, but I figure now is as good a time as any to get personal. I’ve only just recently come out as bisexual to my family and friends. 
“It’s something I am still processing and trying to understand and I don’t like talking about it too much. I’m very very new to the LGBT community.”
She continued: “I wasn’t referring to all the beronica shippers, just the ones who had particularly cruel to me personally. Either way, it wasn’t a wise or kind thing to say and I’m disappointed in myself.”
— Shannon Purser (@shannonpurser) April 19, 2017
Shannon previously tweeted about “anxiety” surrounding her sexuality in a tweet earlier this month. “Getting comfortable with your sexuality is a process. It’s going to be ok. I wish I’d known that sooner,” she wrote at the time.
“Another thing I wish I’d known about sexuality is to take it slow. It can define you as much as you want it to.”
She concluded with a message to fans: “It’s gonna be ok. You’re going to be ok. No, you’re going to be great.”
Getting comfortable with your sexuality is a process. It’s going to be ok. I wish I’d known that sooner.
— Shannon Purser (@shannonpurser) April 11, 2017