Why Kristen Stewart Chose SNL to Come Out, in Her Own Words

Kristen Stewart is looking back at the moment she chose to be fully open with the world, nearly ten years after her headline-making appearance on Saturday Night Live.

In a new interview with Linsey Davis on ABC News Live Prime, Stewart spoke honestly about why she decided to come out publicly during her SNL hosting gig in 2017. A preview clip from the interview was recently released, where the actress explained that the choice had nothing to do with attention or sharing personal drama.

She said the moment came from a deeper place. “It was less about sharing the details of my relationship and more so acknowledging that there are people that don’t get full access to being alive because they’re hiding,” Stewart said in the clip.

According to Stewart, early in her career she was often encouraged to keep her personal life quiet to protect her future in Hollywood. She recalled being warned that her career would benefit if she avoided being seen in public with her girlfriend. “Your career would go better if you didn’t go outside holding your girlfriend’s hand,” she was told.

That advice never sat right with her. Stewart said she could not accept the idea that success required pretending. “So you want me to live a partial life? And you want me to uphold, perpetuate and sustain a system that excludes people? And I just can’t do that,” she explained.

Her decision became public during the February 4, 2017 episode of Saturday Night Live. During her opening monologue, Stewart joked about President Donald Trump’s old tweets criticizing her past relationship with Robert Pattinson. She ended the moment with a line that instantly made headlines. “And Donald, if you didn’t like me then, you’re really probably not gonna like me now, because I’m hosting SNL and I’m like, so gay, dude.”

Looking back, Stewart told Davis that her personal life was already visible to anyone paying attention. She said she avoided formal statements for years because she did not like how the media turned private moments into products. “It felt like I also didn’t want to commodify those details,” she said. “It just felt like everyone wanted to take ’em and sell ’em. Pictures? Sold. Details? Sold. Quote, headline, boom.”

Still, she made it clear there was a difference between privacy and hiding. “What I didn’t want to do was hide from the world we live in,” Stewart said. “I want to define it, I want to make it a more open and accepting place.” She added that by the time of her SNL appearance, she was already openly holding her girlfriend’s hand in public.

Stewart also shared that the people closest to her always knew who she was. “None of my relationships have felt guarded because I didn’t want people to know me. I want people to know me,” she said. She hoped that speaking out might help others feel freer to do the same. “At that point it felt like a statement that just might unlock other people’s doors.”

That mindset has continued into her life today. Stewart began dating screenwriter Dylan Meyer in 2019, and the two got married in April 2025. Meyer shared the news on Instagram with a simple message. “I do. I really really really really really do.”

Professionally, Stewart has also entered a new phase. She recently made her first feature film as a director with The Chronology of Water, a biographical drama starring Imogen Poots as writer Lidia Yuknavitch. The film also features Thora Birch, Jim Belushi, and Tom Sturridge.

As an actress, Stewart is lined up for several upcoming projects. She stars in Full Phil, a dark comedy from director Quentin Dupieux, alongside Woody Harrelson. She is also attached to the vampire thriller Flesh of the Gods with Oscar Isaac.

Stewart has even hinted at returning to Twilight in an unexpected way. She recently said she would consider directing a remake of the franchise if she could approach it from a more personal and independent angle.

Her reflections show how one public moment on live television became a turning point, not just for her career, but for how she chose to live. What do you think about Kristen Stewart’s decision to come out on SNL, and are you interested in her future projects or a Twilight remake directed by her? Share your thoughts in the comments.