The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo author has come out publicly ahead of the release of her upcoming sapphic novel
BY NIC CROSARA, IMAGE BY VIVIEN KILLILEA/GETTY IMAGES FOR PRIME VIDEO
It’s been eight years since author Taylor Jenkins Reid’s The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo came out. The best-selling historical novel tells the life story of the titular character, a glamorous Old Hollywood Star who has garnered quite a reputation after marrying seven men. The twist? Her real one true love is actually another woman. While I usually would hesitate before revealing such a big spoiler, it’s safe to assume there’s a high chance lovers of queer books already knew this about the book which took the TikTok world by storm by being featured on almost every sapphic BookTok recommendations video.
And as it turns out, Taylor didn’t just pen one of the most iconic bisexual characters of all time, she’s also bisexual herself. For a recent Time cover story, the 41-year-old publishing powerhouse opened up about her sexuality.
The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo is arguably Taylor’s most popular novel. But it has received criticism from certain readers who have questioned why Taylor, who is married to a man, writes queer characters. “I am very private,” she told Time. “So at first, I just sort of let people assume what they were going to assume.” But now Taylor is ready to set the record straight that she has always known she is bisexual. “It has been hard at times to see people dismiss me as a straight woman, but I also didn’t tell them the whole story.”
Taylor went on to reflect on growing up as a teenager in the late 90s and attitudes surrounding queer identity. “Nobody was talking about bisexuality. And if they were, it was to make fun of people. The messages about bisexuality were you just want attention or it was a stop on the way to gayville. I found that very painful, because I was being told that I didn’t know myself, but I did.”
Fans of Taylor are eagerly awaiting her ninth novel, Atmosphere, a space thriller with a sapphic love story. Taylor’s husband, Alex Jenkins Reid, has also been supportive of Taylor’s bisexuality. “My attraction to women is a room in the house that is my identity – Alex understood this book was about me spending time in that room,” Taylor said. “He was so excited for me, like, ‘What a great way for you to express this side of you.’ And he helped me get the book to be as romantic and beautiful as it could be.”
Atmosphere is coming out on 3 June 2025, and has already been optioned for a film.
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