The 'Schitt's Creek' Moment That Made Emily Hampshire Realize She Was Pansexual

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Emily Hampshire recently opened up about how a certain scene from Schitt's Creek helped her realize she was pansexual.

During an appearance Tuesday on the 4D With Demi Lovato podcast, Hampshire recalled the scene when her character, Stevie Budd, and Dan Levy's character, David Rose, explained their sexuality using a wine metaphor. The actress said this moment made her understand her own sexuality better.

Emily-Hampshire-Pansexual-GettyImages-1205211647
Emily-Hampshire-Pansexual-GettyImages-1205211647

Getty Images

"He says, ultimately he likes the wine, not the label and that he's pansexual. I had never heard the word 'pansexual' before," said Hampshire. "I've always considered myself super knowledgeable about LGBTQ stuff just because everybody in my life, my friends, are all mostly LGBTQ people, but I didn't know this."

"Cut to about five years later. I was dating someone and I saw on these message boards people being like, 'Is Stevie a lesbian?' 'Is Emily gay?' 'Who's Emily?'" she continued.

Hampshire, 40, also told Lovato that it was another conversation with Levy, 38, that helped her finally grasp her own sexuality. "I said to Dan, I was like, 'This is so weird. What am I?' Because I truly just fell in love with a person and where they were on the gender spectrum did not matter to me. And since then it really doesn't matter to me — I have to like the person. I'm really attracted to a person's vibe," she said. "He was like, 'You're pansexual. Don't you watch our show?'" (Related: How "Coming Out" Improved My Health and Happiness)

There are generally two widely-accepted definitions of pansexual: One is being attracted to someone regardless of their sex or gender identity, while the other is an attraction to all sexes and gender identities.

Schitt's-Creek-Episode-603-C603-Courtesy-Comedy-Central
Schitt's-Creek-Episode-603-C603-Courtesy-Comedy-Central

Courtesy of Comedy Central

During her conversation with Lovato, 29, Hampshire added that in an ideal world, she thinks labels wouldn't be necessary. "My utopian world is like, 'You don't have to identify yourself as anything.' I don't have to say I'm pansexual, bisexual, anything. I get why we have to now. But also with pronouns, my utopian world would be like, 'We're just human,'" she said.

During her talk with Lovato, Hampshire also revealed that the pop star had once slid into her DMs to ask her out. Hampshire recalled how Lovato, who identifies as nonbinary and pansexual, sent her a message, asking the actress out on a date. (Related: What It Really Means to Be Gender Fluid or Identify As Non-Binary)

"You slid in my DMs and you said, 'Hey, I like you on the show. We should kick it some time,'" said Hampshire. "And then you said, below it, 'And by kick it, I mean go on a date. I find you attractive.' You made it clear it was a date. And I loved that because sometimes that's confusing. I'm decades older than you, so 'kick it,' I was looking it up."

Hampshire said Lovato also acknowledged their nearly-11-year age gap, comparing their potential hookup to one akin to Sarah Paulson, 46, and Holland Taylor, 78. "You also said, 'Think of Sarah Paulson and Holland Taylor.' And then right after you were like, 'I don't mean you're the Holland Taylor!' I thought it was the funniest thing in the whole world because I was a Holland Taylor in that situation," chuckled Hampshire. "Proud to be!"

Lovato replied, "A non-binary person can dream. And they, she — I was a 'she' at the time — she was dreaming big. I was like, 'What's the worst that could happen?' And I made a really good friend. You're a dope friend, and I'm happy we became friends." Hampshire then responded, "Me too! I wish you weren't 29!" (Related: Demi Lovato Thanked 'Queen' Lizzo for Correcting a Paparazzo After Misgendering Them)

As far as what Lovato and Hampshire's love lives look like now? They're keeping it low-key following each of their broken engagements: Lovato's to Max Ehrich in 2020 and Hampshire's to singer Teddy Geiger in 2019.

"I went through a difficult breakup and it kind of forced me to really go to therapy and look at myself because I was all about the other person. Everything was about me not having any needs and any self-worth and now that I've finally gotten to, after lots of expensive, expensive therapy, that I love me so much and doing what I want to do, that I'm scared to get into a relationship. I'm worried that I'm just going to give that up," shared Hampshire.

As for Lovato, they're content with watching Netflix and chillin' solo. "I've gotten to that point too where I'm like, 'But wait, I really love my Grey's Anatomy marathons that I have by myself,'" they said. "I don't know if someone who I date is going to be interested in that."