Confirming Relationship With Ashlyn Harris, Sophia Bush Opens Up On ‘Painful’ Trolls- “Blatant Lies”

Sophia Bush’s previous marriage, divorce, and current relationship are like an open book now. Writing on Glamour’s cover, the One Tree Hill alum publicly came out as queer and confirmed her relationship with former USWNT goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris. “I finally feel like I can breathe. I don’t think I can explain how profound that is,” wrote Sophia Bush, referring to her coming out as a queer. Besides the new-found relief, the 41-year-old also spoke at length about the ‘ugly’ rumors around her relationship with the ex-NWSL star, and ‘accusations’ that haunted her earlier.

Bush divorced her ex-husband and entrepreneur Grant Hughes in August 2023, a year after marriage. Around the same time, Ashlyn Harris also divorced her ex-partner and fellow soccer star Ali Krieger. Therefore, rumors had it that Bush ended her marriage solely to be with Harris.

Sophia Bush claps back at rumors about her relationship with Ashlyn Harris

Sophia Bush wrote “painful conversations” in her column to refer to the rumors surrounding her relationship with the former Gotham FC star. “The online rumor mill began to spit in the ugliest ways. There were blatant lies. Violent threats. There were accusations of being a home-wrecker,” wrote Sophia Bush, as compiled by USA Today. These accusations of ruining a marriage perhaps stemmed after Ashlyn Harris divorced Ali Krieger around the same time the actress sought a divorce. She added, “The ones who said I’d left my ex because I suddenly realized I wanted to be with women — my partners have known what I’m into for as long as I have.”

Then, the Good Sam star addressed certain previous rumors that hinted at her having a secret affair with Ashlyn Harris outside her marriage. “The idea that I left my marriage based on some hysterical rendezvous — that, to be crystal-clear, never happened,” Bush added. Now, however, these rumors are stories of the past. Revealing how relieved she is to open up about her relationship with Harris, the 41-year-old actress recalled how she and the soccer star started dating.

Bush and Harris: relationship timeline

The actress and the former NWSL goalie first crossed paths in 2019. But it took a 2023 event in Cannes for the duo to develop a bond. As Sophia Bush puts it, she and Hughes were separated at the time, and she met with a group of women including Ashlyn Harris, who were going through similar relationship issues. The One Tree Hill alum then added that she developed feelings for the 38-year-old soccer star overnight.

After a series of therapies and persuasion from friends, Bush would later ask Harris to hang out more often as they became more than friends. The actress then revealed that a dinner date with the ex-Gotham FC player was ‘one of the most surreal’ experiences in her life. Bush mentioned that she always felt connected to the queer community. She hates the idea of coming out as late as 2024. But she loves the visibility the community will now get in a year, otherwise haunted by constant attacks and aggression.