Samira Wiley reflects on her early romance with wife Lauren Morelli

The Handmaid’s Tale star Samira Wiley reflected on her early romance with wife Lauren Morelli in a new interview.

Speaking in Cosmopolitan UK’s May Issue on Tuesday, the actress, 33, admitted she was both a ‘confidante’ and ‘therapist’ for the screenwriter, 38, who was struggling to come to terms with her sexuality while creating Orange Is The New Black.

In 2014, Lauren, who was married to Stephen Basilone until that year, revealed in an essay that working on the Netflix show helped her realise she was gay, and Samira claimed their relationship was ‘built backwards’ as a result.

Samira, who has been married to Lauren since 2017, explained: ‘So much of falling in love with Lauren was her own coming-out story. 

‘For the first part of our relationship, it was more of a confidante kind of relationship where she was having lots of questions about who she was. 

‘A lot of the beginning was me being a therapist, sharing my own experiences. I came out much earlier than her – I was around 20.’

She went on: ‘Lauren is the most lovely person, and [we were] able to have that relationship blossom from being scared of what was happening in her own marriage to being on the other side and [realising], “Oh, this is more than this, we actually really love each other.”

‘We built the relationship backwards – the trust and love was all there, and the other stuff came later. Which was a unique way to enter into it, but I wouldn’t change it for the world.’

The happy couple were wed in a ceremony officiated by Samira’s parents, and she said by going public with their romance they could help ‘so many young girls and boys’ see a queer couple in the spotlight.

Looking back, Samira said: ‘It was the best day of my life. There’s always a question in our relationship about what things we are going to keep to ourselves and what things should be public. 

‘It was a hard decision. But then we felt like there are so many young girls and boys who don’t see queer couples on the covers of magazines in a wedding being proud of who they are, and having [their] parents officiate. 

‘Those are things that some queer people have never seen. And I want them to know it’s a possibility. It’s a constant conversation. 

‘Why would we be doing this? And what creates the greater good? I want to be very intentional on what we’re putting out there and why I’m doing it. I’ve also been blessed with a partner who agrees.’

Samira is currently filming the fourth season of The Handmaid’s Tale in Toronto, where she has been since September, and was delighted her wife could join her in the city while she works there.

‘I’m so happy that Lauren was able to come,’ Samira gushed. ‘It can be very lonely. 

‘I’m in a different country, the only people I really know here are my castmates and I don’t, just by default, trust anyone else when it comes to being close [because of COVID].

‘I couldn’t imagine what it would be like if I didn’t have her here. Someone to keep me sane. It would be a very, very long time without each other – I’m diabetic, and doctor’s orders [are that] I’m not meant to fly that much.’

The May issue of Cosmopolitan is on sale from 1st April.