British singer Jessie J is ready to stop talking about her sexual orientation and go find herself a husband. (Her words, not mine.) Unfortunately, her controversial statements are quickly becoming counterproductive to that mission — as it’s apparent the conversation about her sexuality won’t be over for a while.
Back in the day, the former Voice UK coach was pretty vocal about her sexuality.
“I’ve never used it as a gimmick. I’ve always said I’ve dated guys and I’ve dated girls. If I’m in love, I’m in love,” Jessie told Glamour in 2011.
That same year, she declared “Jessie J is bisexual” to a crowd at London’s G.A.Y. club. (She says that at the 0:47 mark.)
As recently as April 2012, Jessie spoke about firmly being in Camp Bi. Sometime between then and now, something changed — as Jessie cryptically revealed on Twitter on Sunday night.
“Remember the thing that you tried/did back in the day. The phase you had? That is so not YOU anymore?! And you look back and think wow how I’ve changed. I would never do that now,” she said in an extended tweet. “Something that you don’t even talk about or want to talk about anymore. Because you’ve moved on? That was just part of you growing up? Discovering yourself and working out what you liked and disliked…. Remember?”
She went on to add, “I’ve noticed some people hold onto mine because they were blogged and put into the media… Passing comments made into facts that can never change. Guess what? They can change. As they should.”
A follower reportedly then asked Jessie to “stop speaking in riddles” and “get straight to the point.” To which, Jessie responded, “I fancy/date/love men and only men. Is that ‘straight to the point’ enough?”
Jessie quickly deleted the tweet and tried to point the conversation in a new direction by saying, “Now that’s cleared up. What’s new with you guys?” However, many of the people who previously lauded her for being so open about her sexuality weren’t willing to drop the topic so quickly.
“Jessie J acting like being bisexual is a phase! And were trying to fight for equality and being born this way? Jog on,” one person said on Twitter.
Another slightly more vituperative former fan said, “Jessie J has basically perpetuated the idea bisexuality isn’t real and she’s a piece of s**t for makin a big deal out of her ‘straightness.'”
After Ellen‘s Trish Bendix took a slightly more diplomatic approach: “While it’s clearly something she wanted to make known for her own sanity or personal gain, it is a very unfortunate tactic for the rest of us who cannot turn our queerness off, and more often than not, don’t want to.”
Jessie’s since responded to the criticism by repeating her original point that something she said years ago shouldn’t have been written in stone.
“I don’t regret anything I ever said, but I never knew back then that whatever I said became a fact that I couldn’t change,” she told The Mirror today. “I’m just so bored of it, and that’s kind of it – I want to stop talking about it completely now and find myself a husband.”
She also aired her frustrations with the backlash in another extended tweet.
“The hate on my TL is uncalled for and ridiculous! I never lied about my sexuality, I never labelled myself, the media and some of the public did. I said almost 5 years ago now,” she said today. “I was asked in an interview back in the day about relationships, first time ever, and I was honest and then BAM it took over, the word bisexual before my name on almost every article I read? Like I had to say it when I introduced myself? It was crazy. Instantly I was boxed.”
Jessie concluded her extra-long message by saying she’s now turning her attention to her third album and will no longer respond to questions about her sexuality.
