Fans and creator of the Netflix series “Heartstopper» gather around the star of the series Keith Connor after the actor shared that he was “forced” to come out as bisexual.
The 18-year-old actor made a rare appearance on Twitter on Monday, writing: “Come back for a minute. I would. Congratulations on making an 18-year-old lose his temper. I think some of you have missed the point of the show. Goodbye.”
Although Connor didn’t elaborate on why he was forced to come out, some recently accused the actor of “queerbaiting” on social media. The controversy began after photos surfaced of him holding hands with Maya Refica, his co-star in The Cuban Girl About Tea and Tomorrow.
In Heartstopper, Connor plays Nick Nelson, a popular rugby player who befriends Joe Locke’s Charlie Spring; a romantic relationship develops between them.
Alice Osseman, creator, writer and showrunner of Heartstopper, immediately shared her support for Connor in reply to his tweet.
“I really don’t understand how people can watch ‘Heartstopper’ and then happily spend time thinking about sexuality and making judgments based on stereotypes,” Oseman wrote. “I hope all these people are embarrassed. Keith, you’re amazing.’
In an interview with DiversityOseman, Connor and star Joe Locke talked about what they hope for the Netflix series, which Season 2 production has begun in September can mean for young strange people.
“When ‘Heartstopper’ helps a young queer come out, or when it helps a parent understand their child a little better, that’s the most wonderful and touching thing you could ever hear, and it makes it all worth it,” Osseman said.
Connor added: “I think there’s something really beautiful about a show where you see amazing people happy and together and united as a group. I think shows like Euphoria, which are very weird, are still very adult in a lot of ways because they’re very dark and violent. I think it’s really important to have a show that just reflects weird love and weird beauty.”
See fan support for Conor below.
