Former England keeper Earps announces ‘happy’ same-sex relationship

Mary Earps, the former England goalkeeper, has revealed to the BBC that she “feels ready and happy to share” that she is a same-sex relationship.

Before her memoir, which will be released in which she discusses her “really happy relationship,” the 32-year-old has made a decision to reveal details about her sexuality.

According to what the BBC knows, Earps has chosen to publish a statement confirming her sexuality so that it is shared on her own terms and doesn’t detract from the book’s other themes, such as her struggles with mental health.

Earps, who plays football for Paris Saint-Germain in France, exclusively told the BBC that she had always tried to keep her personal life and her professional life separate, but that it would have felt “inauthentic” not to reveal details of something she considers to be “so important to her”.

Her manager informed the BBC that the former Manchester United player wanted to “tell her story in her own unique way.”

The outpouring of love and support after the World Cup “truly showed Mary how significant it is to her,” she said.

Women’s football has a lot more openly gay players than men’s football, in my opinion.

In the 2022 men’s World Cup, there were no openly gay or bisexual players.

In contrast, there were more than 40 players who were openly gay or bisexual at the 2023 Women’s World Cup.

After recently revealing her feelings for them, Earps is said to have been encouraged and supported by her former Lionesses teammates.

Earps stated to the BBC in a statement that it was inappropriate to leave something so significant to me for my professional life.

“I’m in a really good relationship,” I tell you. People who are close to me have always known me, and I’m excited to share that with everyone.

The Lionesses’ women’s team won the Women’s Euros in 2022, and the keeper, who was a native of Nottingham, served as their vice captain in the Women’s World Cup in 2023, which saw England lose to Spain in the final.

She was also named the 2023 recipient of the BBC Sports Personality of the Year, which she described as an “unbelievable” experience.

She received an MBE from Prince William in May 2024.

She has frequently discussed the value of being a “trailblazer” and role model.

She stated in an interview in August 2024 that she was “very ambitious person, very hard-working person, and I think trying to push boundaries and try to be a pioneer for change in many ways is something I really enjoy doing, and I hope to do this for the rest of my career.”

Celebrities frequently have control over how and when they disclose their sexuality online, or even whether or not they do so.

Pop stars, actors, and footballers had terrible sexual consequences from press intrusion in the past.

However, that kind of intrusion is not unique to the past.

When Rebel Wilson first revealed details of her same-sex relationship in 2023, the Australian media was forced to make up its mind because a journalist intended to reveal details about the relationship in a gossip column.

“coming out” is not something you can only do once, according to Earps’ statement, which states that she was already open about her sexuality with those closest to her.

She has obviously thought a lot about coming out to her fans, especially the young people who see her as a role model.