Samira Wiley reduced to tears after 'Orange is The New Black' co-star outed her as gay

Samira Wiley recalls the time her co-star outed her prematurely and drove her to tears. "I saw it in print, and I cried," she said.

It’s no longer a secret that Samira Wiley is gay. However, there was a time she purposely kept it a secret because she wasn’t ready to share it with the world. Unfortunately, that choice was taken away from her when her co-star decided to out her without her knowledge.

Since being cast on “Orange is the New Black,” Samira has been making waves as Pousey Washington, her witty and outspoken character on the show. At the time she was hired, she was still coming into terms with her sexuality though she was playing the role of a homosexual.

Samira admits she was uncomfortable coming out as gay off-screen since she too was still struggling to understand herself. She purposely kept it a secret until she felt ready to make the big reveal. However, Samira was caught off-guard when a cast member on the show accidentally outed her. She recalled the incident during her interview with WNYC’s Nancy podcast.

“Someone from my cast actually, during the interview they were talking about out gay actors in the cast…and they mentioned my name and I saw it in print, and I cried. I cried a lot.”

Samira admitted she felt devastated because the choice to come out in her own terms had been taken from her. If she had her way, she would want to come out when she was completely ready.

The actress admitted though that she was already beginning to be comfortable in her own skin, thanks to her role in the show.

“I wasn’t out in the beginning and I think falling in love with Poussey, which is a really thing that happened to me, helped me fall in love with myself as well.”

But what’s done is done and Samira, who also plays a gay character on “The Handmaid’s Tale” is just happy to be living the way she wants to live with no more hesitations about her sexuality. In fact, she tied the knot last year with writer Lauren Morelli, her longtime partner. The pair had a confetti-themed wedding in Palm Springs, California surrounded by friends and family. The non-traditional wedding was officiated by Samira’s parents and the couple played pop music all throughout. They also looked lovely in Christian Siriano gowns.

Samira and Lauren are now part of a growing list of gay female celebrity couples who’ve tied the knot. Actress Jodie Foster married photographer Alexandra Hedison in 2014. “Sex and the City”’s Cynthia Nixon wed Christine Marinoni in 2012. Wanda Sykes has also been happily married to Alex Niedbalski since 2008. Ellen DeGeneres and Portia De Rossi decided to tie the knot the moment California law made gay marriages legal in 2008. They've been hounded by rumors of trouble in their marriage but they've managed to shrug them off insisting their relationship is strong because it's built on a solid friendship.