A North Carolina woman has revealed she is still married to her husband despite coming out as a lesbian two years ago.
Nicolette, 26, married her childhood sweetheart Ryan, 27, in 2014, with the couple having two children together.
Nicolette claimed she always knew she was a lesbian but kept her sexuality a secret from her husband until the summer of 2020.
After hearing the news, Ryan suggested Nicolette stay with him for the sake of their two young children – and she agreed to the unconventional arrangement.
“We are still married and we still live together in our house with our children,” Nicolette told South West News Service in a recent interview. “At the moment, what we are doing is working. We try to understand our careers and make sure our children get the best results. »
“It’s about making sure the kids are happy, making sure they know they’re loved and have both parents around as much as possible.”
Nicolette still describes Ryan as her “soul mate”, despite being sexually attracted to women.
“Me and Ryan have maintained that friendship; he will always be my best friend,” she cooed.
“We got married when I was 19 and he was 20. We were together for almost all of our 20 years, and he’s the person I’ve always been around.”
She added: “I feel like he will always be my soul mate, but from a different perspective. We know how to put ourselves in each other’s shoes, but we also know how to be the most great supporters of each other.
Nicolette – who works as a delivery driver – has now found fame on TikTok documenting her unusual marriage.
Nicolette told SWNS that she “prioritizes family life over the dating side,” and the brunette posts popular videos with their two children.
While many on TikTok expressed support for the pair, some accused Nicolette of “wasting” Ryan’s time.
However, the supporting husband said he is happy with the current situation and is not surprised that his wife is a lesbian.
“It wasn’t a shock when Nicolette came out. I started to have suspicions but I wasn’t going to ask – I was going to wait for her to tell me herself,” Ryan told SWNS.
“My family was really supportive of me, and they still are,” he added. “We always go on family vacations with them, we all get along very well.”
Nicolette’s family also maintain that the couple remain married for the sake of their two sons – Jace, 5, and Clay, 4.
“I think I knew I was gay growing up, [but] here in America it can be very conservative,” Nicolette told SWNS. “My family is definitely conservative, we’re from the Midwest… We grew up hunting and fishing and all that stuff, Ryan’s family is also pretty religious.”
She added: “It wasn’t really a thing to be gay when I was growing up. But as I got older, I felt like I had this weight on my chest. I knew there was something that I had to understand.
After coming out to Ryan, Nicolette revealed her sexuality secret to family and friends, saying, “I’m now completely out and kind of kissed it!”
The mum-of-two found a community of support on TikTok and even heard of other lesbians who are still married to men.
“I am going through something similar and my husband fully supports me,” one woman wrote under a recent video posted by Nicolette. “It’s amazing to have a partner who supports you.”
Another user chimed in similarly, “I went through this three years ago. He faithfully stayed by my side through it all. I’m grateful for a best friend like him.
However, others are not so sympathetic towards the unorthodox couple.
“I wish [they’d] divorce so the guy can have love,” one gushed before another added, “I would never forgive someone who wasted my time like that.”
