Sophia Bush reflects on coming out by sharing powerful quote about claiming her ... trends now

Sophia Bush reflected on the overwhelmingly positive response to her coming out as queer in an essay for Glamour, in which she also confirmed her new romance.

The One Tree Hill actress, 41, who has been dating soccer player Ashlyn Harris since the fall following her split from Grant Hughes after 13 months of marriage, shared a quote to Instagram about reclaiming her identity from Maggie Smith's book, You Could Make This Place Beautiful, as well as some sweet words for the 'countless' fans that supported her along the way.

'I feel like last summer I had my very first birthday. My own. And last summer Maggie Smith's words helped me begin to understand why,' she captioned a stunning black and white shot of herself in strapless gown with a racy thigh-high slit.

She continued: 'From afar, she helped me put myself back together.' 

Bush went on to share the following quote from Smith's memoir, which read: 'How I picture it: We are all nesting dolls, carrying the earlier iterations of ourselves inside. We carry the past inside us. We take ourselves— all of our selves —wherever we go. Inside forty-something me is the woman I was in my thirties, the woman I was in my twenties, the teenager I was, the child I was… I still carry these versions of myself.'

'It's a kind of reincarnation without death: all these different lives we get to live in this one body, as ourselves,' the passage concluded. 

While reflecting on her powerful Glamour essay, Bush raved about being able to share her own words that she penned from the bottom of her 'ever-evolving heart.' 

'When I uttered 'I really love who I am, at this age, and in this moment' I sort of couldn't believe it. It just fell out of me,' she recalled. 'Simple. But profound. I’ve always wanted to feel that in my bones. Suddenly I do. It took a long time and a lot of work to get here.'

Bush concluded her post by writing: 'To any of who on your own journey, and to the countless number of you who’ve shared your hearts, kindness, hidden truths, and stunning responses to my essay … I see you. I do. We are all in this together. Walking each other home. Here is to the becoming ✨.' 

Her pal, Alyssa Milano, was among the first stars to comment on the post as she applauded Bush for being a 'bright light.'

'I’m so glad you’ve found your breath. You deserve all the great things,' the actress, 51, wrote.

Orange Is the New Black star Uzo Aduba, 43, sweetly commented: 'Love you, lady. So much. ❤️' 

In her Glamour essay, Bush revealed she was 'in love' with Harris whom she became friends with in 2019. 

The pair began dating following their respective divorces. Harris was previously married to Ali Krieger, who she met in met in 2010, for four years.

'I didn't expect to find love in this support system,' began the star who noted that her bond with Harris was rare and beautiful. 'I don't know how else to say it other than: I didn't see it until I saw it.' 

Bush noted that she had told her previous partners that she was attracted to women.

In addition to Hughes, she was also married to Chad Michael Murray from 2005 until 2006. 

She also detailed her 'heartbreaking' fertility struggles during her marriage to Hughes.