Is Maya Hawke Gay? She Played a Lesbian Character Though Was Spotted Kissing a Man in Real Life

Maya Hawke has not publicly spoken out about her sexual orientation after portraying the role of a lesbian on-screen. However, despite also making music that inspires queer people, she was once spotted kissing a man.

Maya Hawke is an actress best known for her breakout role in the horror series, "Stranger Things." She joined the show during its third season as Robin Buckley, a lesbian.

She played an ice cream sales girl alongside her colleague and former classmate, Steve Harrington. After his friend stumbles on a Russian code, Robin Buckley gets lucky with cracking the code.

In their quest to uncover the code's origins and potentially save their country, Steve Harrington's friend, Dustin Henderson (played by Gaten Matarazzo), enlisted the help of his friend's sister, Erica Sinclair (played by Priah Ferguson).

However, they end up in a top-secret Russian base beneath the mall where Hawke's character worked. The storyline's focus on the world ending gets even better after she makes a startling confession that stands out as the highlight of her character and the peak of her role in the season.

Maya Hawke's Gay Character in 'Stranger Things' Made an Indelible Mark in the LGBTQ Community

After escaping the base in the Netflix series, Hawke's character, Buckley, officially comes out to Harrington while recovering on the bathroom floor after he confessed his feelings for her. Her coming out as a lesbian made her the first LGBTQ character in the "Stranger Things" universe.

Hawke spoke out about the storyline in a July 2019 interview and revealed the plot twist was not planned. She remarked that she and the creators, Ross and Matt Duffer, reached a final decision around the fourth and fifth episodes. She explained: "It was kind of a collaborative conversation, and I'm really happy with the way that it went."

The actress commented on the coming out scene: "[..] If I can hope for anything, it's that maybe some people fell in love with Robin, and that helped them fall in love with girls who love girls and boys who love boys."

Maya Hawke Comments on Her Music, Which Inspires Queer People

In addition to acting, Hawke is a singer and has released two albums and several singles. Her own life and surroundings inspire her music projects. Like her acting stints, queer people have found their experiences reflected in her music over the years.

The prime example is her 2019 song, "To Love a Boy," from her debut album "Blush," which is about one being afraid they cannot love who they want to.

Many lesbians have found comfort in the bittersweet, queer interpretation of the song. Hawke, who has never publicly talked about her sexuality, said this about her work on-screen and her music:

"I think it's cool that when I play shows, young queer women who love Robin can come and connect to my music, too. There's a lot of cohesion there."

Maya Was Spotted Kissing Spencer Barnett on Valentine's Day

Despite Maya Hawke's sexuality being questioned, she packed on the PDA with musician Spencer Barnett on Valentine's Day in February 2022. The duo was spotted kissing in Manhattan as Barnett carried a shopping bag.

That same month, they were also seen walking the streets of Paris in France. A month later, they attended the Dior Womenswear Fall/Winter 2022/2023 show as part of the Paris Fashion Week on March 1, 2022.

In December 2022, Hawke and Barnett enjoyed a beach outing in Miami, Florida. They walked side-by-side as they made their way from the water. Despite first being spotted in public in February 2022, they never confirmed their relationship.

Barnett is friends with Hawke's brother, Levon Hawke, and they reportedly met that way. Barnett is also a singer and songwriter who rose to prominence in 2015 and released his romantic single "Whatever" in 2017.

He was born in New York in 2002 and grew up in Manhattan and the San Francisco Bay Area. Unlike Hawke, whose parents are Hollywood actors, Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke, his parents are not famous in the entertainment industry.

His father is Roger Barnette, the CEO of Shaklee Corporation, and his mother, Sloan Barnette, is a former Manhattan district attorney. The pop star composer is also an actor known for "August" (2022) and the television series "Criminals: Caught on Camera" (2013).