The star of the Netflix original series Orange is the New Black has opened up about her sexuality in an interview ahead of the show’s season 5 premiere.
Taylor Schilling spoke with the Evening Standard about the scrutiny her sexuality has faced, saying that she prefers to keep her personal life private.
“I think it’s pretty invasive,” she says. “I’ve had very serious relationships with lots of people, and I’m a very expansive human.”
Schilling—who has previously been linked to actor and musician Carrie Browstein—says that there’s “no part of me that can be put under a label”.
She continues: “I really don’t fit into a box — that’s too reductive.”
The actor is currently single, saying her filming schedule makes it difficult to maintain a relationship.
“I’m working all the time — I don’t really have anything else going on. But I’ve had wonderful relationships," she says. "I’ve had a lot of love, and I don’t have any qualms about where it comes from.”
Schilling also spoke about the way Orange is the New Black has impacted the cultural landscape and the ways same-sex relationships are spoken about in the media.
“Oh, in the first season, all people wanted to talk about was what it was like to kiss a girl,” says Schilling. “Now, if someone asks me that, there’s complete understanding if I say: 'I’m not going to answer that question'."
Season 5 of Orange is the New Black premieres on June 9.
