Gillian Anderson has chosen to open up further about her previous lesbian affair.

The actress – who first discussed her gay relationship in 2012 – was in high school when the two dated “for a long time”, but thought it was important not “hide” what happened, following her death in 2011.

She told the Mail on Sunday newspaper’s Even magazine:

“She had died of a brain tumour a year earlier and I had never really spoken about her. She was a beautiful person who was very meaningful in my life and I wanted to honour her instead of hiding my experience. There was a point years after we split when she phoned to tell me to say she had been offered a large amount of money to sell a photograph of us together and had chosen not to do it.”

Gillian Anderson

She added:

“It was a very big decision because she really could have used the money. I felt it was very important to take the onus off that type of relationship, to say this happened and I feel no shame about it.”

Gillian Anderson

Back in 2012, Anderson told Out Magazine:

“I was in a relationship with a girl for a long time when I was in high school. You know, I’m old enough that I can talk about that… If I had thought I was 100% gay, would it have been a difference experience for me? Would it have been a bigger deal if shame had been attached to it and all those things that become huge life-altering issues for youngsters in that situation? It’s possible that my attitude around it came, on some level, from knowing that I still liked boys.”

Gillian Anderson