One Tree Hill’s Sophia Bush goes public with new girlfriend after revealing she can ‘finally breathe again’

One Tree Hill's Sophia Bush has gone public with her new girlfriend, Ashlyn Harris, after revealing she can 'finally breathe again'.

The 41-year-old actor has opened up about her new relationship with the American soccer player, 38, in a personal essay she wrote for Glamour magazine.

Sophia publicly came out in the essay, telling fans: "I finally feel like I can breathe."

One Tree Hill star, Sophia Bush, has opened up about her new relationship. (Instagram/@sophiabush)

"I don’t think I can explain how profound that is," she explained in the personal essay. "I feel like I was wearing a weighted vest for who knows how long. I hadn’t realised how heavy it was until I finally just put it down."

Sophia carried on: "This might sound crazy - but I think other people in trauma recovery will get it—I am taking deep breaths again.

"I can feel my legs and feet. I can feel my feet in my shoes right now. It makes me want to cry and laugh at the same time."

The actor explained that her revelation came about after she filed for divorce from entrepreneur Grant Hughes back in August 2023, after tying the knot the year before.

In the essay, Sophia made a point of highlighting that there was no infidelity involved in her new relationship with Ashlyn, who she met in 2019.

The actor confirmed her relationship with American soccer player, Ashlyn Harris. (Monica Schipper / Staff / Getty Images)

She continued: "The idea that I left my marriage based on some hysterical rendezvous—that, to be crystal-clear, never happened—rather than having taken over a year to do the most soul crushing work of my life? … It feels brutal."

Sophia recalled how, one day following the split, she asked Ashlyn out for a 'non-friend-group-hang', which she hails as 'one of the most surreal experiences' of her life.

"Maybe it was all fated. Maybe it really is a version of invisible string theory. I don’t really know," she continued.

"But I do know that for a sparkly moment I felt like maybe the universe had been conspiring for me. And that feeling that I have in my bones is one I’ll hold on to no matter where things go from here."

Sophia said she 'finally feels like she can breathe' after coming out. (Frazer Harrison / Staff / Getty Images)

While admitting that her former partners have been aware about her interest in women romantically, it was only after learning self-love that she felt proud enough to publicly acknowledge it.

She shared: "It took me 41 years to get here.

"When I take stock of the last few years, I can tell you that I have never operated out of more integrity in my life. I hope that’s clear enough for everyone speculating out there, while being as gentle as I possibly can be."

Topics: TV And Film, Celebrity, Sex and Relationships, LGBTQ+

Rhiannon Ingle

Rhiannon Ingle is a Journalist at LADbible Group. She graduated from the University of Manchester in 2021 in English Literature. Alongside her studies, she was the Lifestyle Editor of The Mancunian, the largest student newspaper in the United Kingdom. Her favourite topics to write about include sex and relationships, bizarre lifestyle trends and all things travel.