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Kristen Stewart says Twilight is 'such a gay movie': 'I can only see it now'

"It's all about oppression, about wanting what's going to destroy you."

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Published on January 11, 2024 01:21PM EST

Kristen Stewart is convinced that Twilight — her very heterosexual film franchise centered on a teenage girl caught in a love triangle with a male vampire and a male werewolf — has major queer undertones.

“I can only see it now,” the star, who publicly came out as queer in 2017, said in a new interview with Variety. “I don’t think it necessarily started off that way, but I also think that the fact that I was there at all, it was percolating. It’s such a gay movie."

In the movies, adapted from Stephenie Meyer's hit novels, Stewart plays Bella Swan, a high schooler who finds herself drawn to sexy bloodsucker Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) despite the dangerous implications of his nature. Bella also cares deeply for her pal Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner), who, as it turns out, is also a monster.

"I mean, Jesus Christ; Taylor and Rob and me, and it’s so hidden and not okay," Stewart said. "I mean, a Mormon woman wrote this book. It’s all about oppression, about wanting what’s going to destroy you. That’s a very Gothic, gay inclination that I love.”

Twilight (2008) KRISTEN STEWART — Kristen Stewart in 'Twilight'.
Peter Sorel/Summitt

The beloved franchise propelled the three stars into international superstardom, shining a megawatt spotlight on the actual romance between Stewart and Pattinson, who were together from 2009 until 2013.

Stewart came out during her Saturday Night Live monologue in 2017, though, as she told Variety, "It wasn’t even like I was hiding. I was so openly out with my girlfriend for years at that point."

However, she added, "It was cool to frame it in a funny context because it could say everything [about my sexuality] without [my] having to sit down and do an interview. So what platform is that going to be on? And who’s going to make money on that? And who’s going to be the person that broke it? I broke it, alone.”

In her monologue, Stewart referenced Donald Trump's various tweets (11, to be exact) about her split from Pattinson and the headlines about her affair with director Rupert Sanders.

"The president is not a huge fan of me," she said at the time. "But that is so okay. And Donald, if you didn't like me then, you're probably not going to like me now, because I'm hosting SNL and I'm so gay, dude."

The actress, who is set to headline Rose Glass' upcoming A24 queer romance thriller, Love Lies Bleeding, announced her engagement to screenwriter Dylan Meyer in 2021.

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Kristen Stewart says Twilight is 'such a gay movie': 'I can only see it now'

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