Ronen Rubinstein says wife joked he should 'not leave her for Harry Styles' on coming out as bisexual
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Actor Ronen Rubinstein, who plays TK Strand on '9-1-1: Lone Star', one of the most beloved queer characters on TV, came out as bisexual in 2021 and noted how his wife, Jessica Parker Kennedy, joked that he should "not leave her for Harry Styles."
Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Tim Minear created FOX’s procedural drama about the private and professional relationships of firefighters, paramedics, police officers, dispatchers and other first responders in Austin, Texas. In '9-1-1: Lone Star,' Rubenstein plays an openly gay former fireman and recovering opioid addict who becomes a paramedic in Season 2 of the show. Strand is in a relationship with police officer Carlos Reyes, played by actor Rafael L Silva, and the on-screen couple got hitched in Season 2.
READ MORE
What is ‘Accidental Truth: UFO Revelations’ about? Plot of Ron James’ documentary explained
'She encouraged me to be vocal about it'
In 2022, Rubinstein married Kennedy, the first few people he reportedly spoke to about his sexuality. Rubinstein told Variety that his wife motivated him to be vocal regarding his sexuality and continue living his truth. He reportedly said, “She’s like, ‘I love you for who you are, your full self, and people will love you for who you are and your full self.'"
Rubinstein said that his relationship with Kennedy has remain unchanged even after he revealed the big news. He said, "She just sometimes jokes, ‘Just don’t leave me for Harry Styles.’”
Speaking to Hello!, Kennedy revealed that their cionversations about his sexuality only strengthened their bond. She said, “Really early on in our relationship, Ronen would make comments when we would watch actors, and it then became a bigger conversation of, ‘What am I?’ Not everything needs a title but at the same time, there is something empowering about being able to ‘know thyself.'” She added, “I also wanted to make sure he felt like he could talk about it confidently and openly, certainly with me first and foremost for our relationship.” Rubinstein also spoke to Silva and Murphy about his sexuality, who were very encouraging towards him owning up to his truth.
'We are a beautiful example of a strong, solid, confident relationship'
In an interview, Rubinstein acknowledged that several individuals were unware of the prejudice against bisexual men, particularly bisexual men in committed relationships with women. He stated that he didn't even realize he was bisexual until he started dating Kennedy, adding that he was unfamiliar with the term bisexual at the time and that there were so many stories about couples splitting up after one of them came out.
The actor reportedly said, “There’s not that many public examples of this type of relationship and it’s an example of something that should be shown in a positive and beautiful light.” Kennedy chimed in, saying that her husband's coming out publicly has been the best thing for their relationship, joking that they've had some sort of fun talking about boys, while making it clear that she wanted Rubinstein to feel at ease and secure in their relationship, and to be able to be himself.
What would the fans say?
One of Kennedy's concerns with Rubinstein coming out publicly was how fans would react, particularly because he was with a woman. However, those fears were laid to rest when fans supported his choice to be with Kennedy. Rubinstein said the fans were amazing, inspiring him to come out publicly, where he felt safe and comfortable.
He told Variety, "I want people to know that they’re not alone and it’s definitely okay. Trust me, I know that it is not easy. My path has not been easy at all, but it’s just one more thing that I can share with people to help them and let them know that I’m here for them.”