Erin Doherty’s Sexuality: What We Know (And Don’t Know)


 

Erin Rachael Doherty is a British actress famously known for her role as Princess Anne in the Netflix series ‘The Crown’. Even though she only appeared in a few seasons of the drama series, she made a name for herself as she managed to win the Screen Actors Guide Award. Her rise to fame came rapidly as she garnered several fans both on social media and in real life as people fell in love with her role in the series.

Becoming famous came with responsibility because the actress had to face a lot of questions in the media. She also had to deal with a lot of speculations surrounding her sexual orientation and gender identity. However, The Crown star made the hardest decision to stay silent about her sexuality for several years.

Image by from

When she was interviewed by The Telegram, Elin Doherty revealed that she is a gay woman and has been in the closet for the longest time. She also added that hiding her sexuality was not her choice. She was afraid to lose her job and put her acting career in danger. She says that she felt the pressure of hiding her true identity and opening up as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. She admitted in the interview that she worried about coming out.

“I’m not gonna lie, I won’t name names, but when I got ‘The Crown’, I felt a lot of pressure to withhold my sexuality. There was a period of time when I was like, ‘Do I get to be open about this in order to have a successful career?” she said in the interview.

The multitalented actress recalls the previous actresses who had come out as gay in the past and many of them did not have a good experience. She has also seen the members of the LGBTQ+ community being mistreated and rejected by the members of the public. She therefore chose to stay hidden in order not to lose her fans alongside her acting career.

Image by from

In 2019, Doherty spoke openly about her sexuality and the decision to come out. She appeared for the first time in public with her girlfriend, Sophie Melville, who is also an actress. The couple met back in 2019 when they took part in the Alan Ayckbourn play The Divide. They began dating after a few months together but decided not to make their relationship public until 2019.

The actress reflects on the past actors and actresses who failed to come out and continued to live in hiding and denial. She says that men and women in Hollywood are afraid of letting the world know who they are because they think they will lose their jobs and destroy their careers.

“I’m really aware of all the people who have lived years and years and years, either in shame or denial or just hiding — actors, actresses definitely stopping it getting out there in order to have a career — and I just want to be a part of trying to do something about that,” said Doherty in the interview with Telegraph.

According to the actress, coming out as gay while at the peak of her career might have denied her a chance to play a certain role. Many people believed that only gay people played gay roles and they would not take the straight roles. She said that she was surprised when she found out that people thought she would not play heterosexual romantic scenes. People would say “Oh, but you’re gay, so you can’t play straight,” said Doherty.

However, the actress did not let the criticism put her down, instead, she used public scrutiny to model her character in the series.

When she was interviewed by the New York Times in 2022, the Crown star was more open and informed as she spoke about her sexuality and relationships. She candidly spoke about being a gay woman and the importance of being a gay woman in Hollywood.

“There are things that I do want to be a part of,” she explained. “Being a visible gay woman is really important to me, and I really want people to know that,” she added, saying that opening up as a gay woman has helped her play her roles better.

While playing Princess Anne, the actress admits that it must be hard for people in the royal family to come out as gay because of the constant public scrutiny. Members of the public are always keeping an eye on the royals, often criticizing their appearance and character. However, Princess Anne uses criticism to build her strong-willed character.

Image by from

“I’ve never played anyone like her, and I don’t think I ever will,” admits Doherty. “The royals are such a specific concoction of circumstance versus emotion. It’s just like, when will you ever get to explore the friction of that?”

Erin Doherty has also starred in the British drama titled Chloe where she has used public opinion to make herself better. The drama portrays a woman who assumes a new identity that helps her break free from her drab life. The character is a representation of the actors and actresses in the industry who are afraid of coming out. Doherty uses the movies to help people embrace their real identity to come out of the closet.

Doherty recalls that knowing her traits helped her understand how to deal with people and public pressure. She says that she loves being around people but she is careful not to let them make life decisions for her. She is also aware of the impact that people can have on one’s life. “I love people, but I think I get overwhelmed by how much of an impact they can have on your life,” she told the New York Times.

However, Erin Doherty is a private person and has kept her personal life out of the spotlight. She appears with her girlfriend in public on rare occasions and it is not clear how far they are in the relationship.

Despite being private, her coming out as a gay woman was clear and she has held the position and sexuality as a member of the LGBTQ+ community.

Planning a trip to Paris ? Get ready !


These are Dz’-Բ travel products that you may need for coming to Paris.

Bookstore

  1. The best travel book : Rick Steves – Paris 2023
  2. Fodor’s Paris 2024 –

Travel Gear

  1. Venture Pal Lightweight Backpack –
  2. Samsonite Winfield 2 28″ Luggage –
  3. Swig Savvy’s Stainless Steel Insulated Water Bottle –

We sometimes read this list just to find out what new travel products people are buying.