No less than every single person I have ever known has sent me speculative TikToks over the past several days regarding the possibility that One Tree Hill actress / activist / entrepreneur Sophia Bush is, in fact, dating soccer star Ashlyn Harris, who in September filed for divorce from her widely beloved soccer star wife Ali Krieger. Today, People Magazine is reporting exclusively that in fact the rumors are true and Sophia Bush and Ashlyn Harris had their first date “a few weeks ago.” The source from “inside their social circle” told People: “After being friends for years, and running in the same social circles, Sophia and Ashlyn went out on their first dinner date a couple of weeks ago. This is so recent, and they are both beginning new chapters.”

People Magazine’s source said that “there is no salacious story” around the Bush and Harris coupling, “though the public may want there to be.”

Sophia Bush split from her husband Grant Hughes two months ago, but previously has not identified as queer or openly dated a woman. Reportedly, Sophia and Grant remain friends and continue running their nonprofit together.

July 26, 2023. Photo by: Todd Williamson/Peacock via Getty Images

This source also divulged that Ashlyn and Ali’s “divorce began months ago” and they’ve been “living apart since the summer.” This tracks with our observations about their solo event attendance and social media appearances, as detailed in our piece from last week about the divorce, a divorce which broke the hearts and minds of our community.

Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe recently wore ‘Ali Krieger Fan Club” shirts at a soccer and WNBA game, respectively, in honor of Ali’s last regular-season game.

When did the Sophia Bush Ashlyn Harris Dating Rumors Start?

Trainer Tessa, a queer person on TikTok, had presented her initial Sophia Bush theory last week. She began by noting that Sophia Bush is active in various women’s advocacy and athletics groups and has been at events this year with both Ashlyn Harris and Ali Krieger and appears to be friends with their friends, which also includes Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe. Tessa added that although, at press time, Sophia followed Ashlyn Harris on instagram as well as several other big names in women’s soccer — she does not follow Ali Krieger.

In a follow-up video two days ago, Tessa detailed how Sophia Bush attended Megan Rapinoe’s final game with the OL Reign with Ashlyn Harris, and also attended the afterparty with Ashlyn Harris, as photographed and shared on instagram. Furthermore, Ashlyn and Sophia rode the elevator together with a million other people including Sue Bird. In another group photo, Sophia and Ashlyn are bending their heads together in a way that is popular amongst male and female lions and also romantic human couples.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sophia Bush Lover (@loversophiabush)

Is Sophia Bush Bisexual?

Sophia Bush’s actual sexual orientation is unknown to us at this time, but she did play gay in Easy (with Jaccqueline Toboni and Kiersey Clemons), looked very gay inThe Incredibles 2 and was also gay in John Tucker Must Die, it appears?

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sophia Bush (@sophiabush)

Also, notably, she is the narrator for Mary Oliver’s poetry book A Wild and Precious Life, just saying.

Sophia Bush also has many social ties to our community. She is an investor in Angel City FC, Los Angeles’ women’s soccer team. Angel City FC games are well-known as hotbeds of lesbian activity. Sophia was in fact recently photographed at an Angel City game with a real “who’s who” of queer Angelinos, such as The L Word: Generation Q‘s Jacqueline Toboni and my style icon E.R. Fightmaster of Grey’s Anatomy.

Sophia recently attended the opening of Melissa Etheridge: My Window live on Broadway, at which she was photographed with legendary queer Ariana DeBose. Sophia Bush has cited Betty Who as a close friend.

In August, when straight people (?! I guess?) were upset that Sophia Bush was divorcing that man whose name I’ve already forgotten, duexmoi posted that “something nuclear” had happened in her marriage that made her convinced she had to file and that it was “not as simple as someone cheating” and that it had “nothing to do with him being nuclear to her.” Was that “nuclear” thing that she is queer?

For his part, Grant has told TMZ that he will “always want the best for Sophia, and is supportive of all that makes her happy and fulfilled.”

In conclusion, I hope Ali Krieger is okay? This is the kind of queer drama that can really throw a queer social group into disarray!

Feature image by Todd Williamson/Peacock via Getty Images

Before you go! Autostraddle runs on the reader support of our AF+ Members. If this article meant something to you today — if it informed you or made you smile or feel seen, will you consider joining AF and supporting the people who make this queer media site possible?

Join AF+!