Kristen Stewart says ‘Twilight’ is “Such a Gay Movie”
'Twilight' made Kristen Stewart a household name. More than a decade later, she believes it's a gay film. Here’s why.
Oscar-nominated star Kristen Stewart is not shy about her homosexuality. In recent years, she’s been truth-telling about some of her past projects, including the one that made her a household name, which she claims is much gayer than people give it credit for.
Stewart recently spoke with Variety a bit about how being a lesbian has affected her life and career. The actor stated quite plainly that when she looks back at the movie Twilight, she sees it differently now.
“It’s such a gay movie,” Stewart said.
People say that type of thing about films all the time, but these kinds of comments don’t usually come from the stars of the picture – especially when it wasn’t considered an LGBTQ movie to begin with. Let’s remember, it’s about vampires and werewolves; it’s not exactly Brokeback Mountain.
Stewart had thoughts on how to back up her claim.
“I mean, Jesus Christ, Taylor [Lautner] and Rob [Pattinson] and me, and it’s so hidden and not okay,” the superstar seemingly joked in the interview. She spoke about the author of the original book series, Stephenie Meyer, saying, “I mean, a Mormon woman wrote this book. It’s all about oppression, about wanting what’s going to destroy you.”
Stewart added more to the “gay” description, stating that she feels that Twilight has “a very Gothic, gay inclination that I love.” The star also made clear that while she sees the franchise as very gay at the moment, she didn’t always. “I don’t think it necessarily started off that way,” Stewart said.
While Stewart may have decided that Twilight is a gay movie, she might be alone in that thought.
In the 15 years or so since the fantasy film was released, not many people have come forward to opine that it fits into the legacy of LGBTQ cinema. That’s not to say that it was anti-gay or didn’t appeal to queer filmgoers, but rather that it wasn’t made with those audiences – or their stories – in mind.
Stewart identifies as gay, but she didn’t when filming the Twilight movies – or, at least not publicly. During that moment in time, she was romantically attached to co-star Robert Pattinson. The two dated for several years, even weathering a cheating scandal when Stewart was caught with her director on another film.
A decade ago, Stewart shared that she was dating a woman, and in the years since has been in relationships with several women. She has become much more comfortable calling herself gay. In 2021, she became engaged to screenwriter Dylan Meyer, and it’s assumed that the two are still a pair to this day.
Stewart spoke to Variety to promote a pair of movies she has coming this year. One of the two, titled Love Lies Bleeding, is a queer-focused crime thriller. The movie is expected to be released in March.
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