A gay man who is in a relationship with a woman has declared he's in the happiest 'intimate' relationship he's ever had.
Jacob Hoff, 29, and Samantha Wynn Greenstone, 36, met back in 2016 at an audition for the musical Fiddler.
What started off as a colleague relationship quickly became a close friendship, with the pair up chatting most nights until 4am.
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The pair are now a couple, with them recently sharing their story on TikTok with the title 'I'm gay and I have a girlfriend'.
They were originally scared to share their story as Samantha was straight and Jacob had always identified as a gay man.
Jacob and Samantha battled their feelings for a period of 16 months, until Samantha saw an energy healer who told her that she could see a 'spiritual umbilical cord' connecting her to her best friend.
A text was quickly sent to Jacob, leading to him feeling 'elated' and 'afraid'.
Though he was worried his sexuality would make it difficult for him to have a successful relationship with a woman.
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Still, Samantha claims that her relationship with Jacob is healthier than her past relationships.
"I think we both felt that there was something there, but because it was a feeling neither of us had ever experienced - a pull to each other - it was just too powerful to place," she said.
"I think we both were too scared to explore that, because we knew we were so special to one another but also knew that we were working with Jacob's sexuality.
"[Now], this is the happiest, healthiest relationship dynamic I've experienced, 1,000%.
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"I think that we have a healthier, more loving relationship than people we know in our own lives, or other relationships we observe, because I think our relationship is built on a soulmate connection."
Jacob says he was only ever attracted to men before meeting Samantha, so he was worried how the intimate aspects of the relationship would work.
But to his surprise, the 29-year-old found it 'natural and easy'.
"I've always only been attracted to men. It was confusing [identifying as a gay man and having these feelings for Samantha]. There was a lot of apprehension," Jacob said.
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"She reached out and texted me and asked if I ever felt more for her than just a friend. When that happened, I had two simultaneous feelings immediately.
"One of them was so much excitement and elation, because I did feel more and was glad she asked me that.
"But there also was a fear that I was going to muck up this friendship because of my sexuality and I didn't want to do that. I didn't think I could successfully have a relationship with a woman."
But after making it successfully work for the best of six years, Samantha and Jacob are encouraging others to be opened minded when it comes to relationships.
Featured Image Credit: Kennedy News and MediaTopics: Sex and Relationships, LGBTQ+