Last Thursday, Jan. 6, actor Noah Schnapp officially came out as gay on TikTok.

Schnapp had previously claimed that his character on Netflix’s hit show, “Stranger Things,” Will Byers is gay. In the midst of a feud with Doja Cat, Schnapp announced Will is “gay and does love Mike.” This is in reference to Will Byer’s feelings towards his best friend Mike Wheeler on the show. Schnapp explained that during Volume 4, Will was going through the typical signs of adolescence which include figuring out one’s identity and possibly the start of discovering one’s sexual orientation. 

In regards to the TikTok, Schnapp captioned the video, “I guess I am more similar to Will than I thought.” In a recent TikTok, Schnapp talks about his journey to coming out and his parent’s and friends’ reactions to him coming out to them. They were not surprised. This is concluded by Schnapp sharing that they all collectively said, “We know.” 

The fan reaction to his news was very supportive. However, there was a running joke on TikTok, where the fans, mainly teenage girls, would pretend to be upset by his coming out. They reacted like this because they found Noah Schnapp attractive, but they were supportive of his decision to come out.

Over the past decade, the stigma around the sexual orientation of celebrities has drastically changed. While there are still some artists and actors that are being forced to remain closeted, there is much more support for young, up-and-coming actors.