Becca Tilley Tearfully Opens Up About Hayley Kiyoko Romance and How Her Girlfriend Makes Her 'Feel Brave'

etonline.com:

Becca Tilley is opening up about her romance with Hayley Kiyoko, and the outpouring of support she's received since they officially went public with their relationship.During the latest episode of her podcast,, the 33-year-old alum got candid about the romance, and said her relationship with Kiyoko was never intentionally kept secret — she just kept it private.«I think it's time.

For four years, it's been our relationship. Hayley and I never were secret, we were very much ourselves, we held hands in public… [but] I really made sure to make that distinction between 'private' and 'secret,'» Tilley shared.«There's such this warped perception of privacy via social media because we're so expected to share everything,» Tilley continued, adding that she eventually felt it was «just time» to be more public about their love.The pair first seemingly confirmed their romance last week, in a music video for Kiyoko's song «For the Girls,» which plays out just like an episode of, complete with limo arrivals and a rose ceremony, something Tilley — who was runner up on Chris Soules' season of in 2015 — was familiar with.«I've always said, 'We can go public if I can be in one of your videos,'» Tilley shared. «But I'm not an actress, and she always hires legit actresses.»However, by being able to play herself in a way, the couple was able to let the world in on their romance in a way they never had before.

And, in doing so, Tilley said she was overwhelmed by the reaction.«I did not know how it was going to go. I knew that I had a big group of people that had my back and were going to support me and love me and encourage me and us in our relationship and have championed our relationship since day one.