The X-Files star's confession: She spoke of a secret romance with a girl and a rebellious upbringing.

Gillian Anderson, the acclaimed actress best known for her role as Agent Dana Scully in the iconic series The X-Files, has opened up in a recent interview with The Sunday Times about her teenage years, rebellious nature, and a secret romance with an older girl during high school. The interview, published on August 17, 2026, reveals personal insights into her early life and relationships, shedding light on a period she describes as filled with secrecy and defiance. Anderson, who was 11 years old when her family moved from London to Michigan, recalls feeling the need to keep her first major romantic relationship hidden from public view. She described how she and her boyfriend felt like they were engaged in something clandestine and wrong, forcing them to remain discreet. “We felt like we were doing something secret, forbidden, and wrong, so we had to hide,” she told The Sunday Times. Her boyfriend eventually ended the relationship after learning about it. Reflecting on her younger self, Anderson admitted she didn’t fully understand her feelings toward women until later in life. While she was attracted to both men and women during her youth, she lacked the language to describe her emotions. “Even later, when I had relationships with women, I wasn’t sure if I ever truly believed they could last forever. When I was younger, part of me thought such relationships were just temporary,” she explained. Despite her openness about past relationships, Anderson has long been in a committed relationship with writer Peter Morgan, the creator of the series The Crown. She describes him as her “life partner” and says she would feel equally connected if he were a woman. “I believe I would feel the same way if the person were a woman,” she added. Looking back on her adolescence, Anderson revealed a rebellious streak and a tendency to push boundaries. At age 12, she used a forged ID to enter gay bars and dance, though she acknowledged that her mother’s insistence on setting limits was justified. “I was so headstrong that I wouldn’t let anyone prove anything to me, until my mom showed me the truth,” she recalled. At 15, she entered a three-year relationship with a man nine years her senior, followed by a connection with a punk musician battling addiction. She noted that her anarchic attitude influenced her behavior, and that her relationships at the time shocked others given her appearance and lifestyle. “That anarchist mindset comes with certain behaviors, and considering how I looked and lived, my relationships surprised people,” she said. Anderson has been married twice. First to Clyde Klotz, the assistant director of The X-Files, with whom she had a daughter named Piper, now 31. Later, she married filmmaker Julian Ozanne. From a subsequent long-term relationship with entrepreneur Mark Griffiths, she has two sons: Oscar, 19, and Felix, 17.