Anitta Has Words For Anyone Who Calls Her “Fake Bi”

Brazilian pop star Anitta might be a world-renowned bisexual icon, but that doesn’t exempt her from the effects of biphobia, as she shared in a new interview.

Speaking with InStyle, the singer (whose real name is Larissa de Macedo Machado), explained her decision to come out as bisexual in her 2018 Netflix docu-series Vai Anitta (Go Anitta), which explores the star’s life and career.

“The reason why I opened up about it is because here in Brazil, there was a lot of criticism and a lot of taboos over that,” she told InStyle. Machado also shared a heartbreaking story about the aftermath of kissing a girl at a party while drunk. “It was a whole job for my security to go there, ask [people] to delete the picture, because people would say I had kissed the girl, and I would lose the brand deals and everything,” she added.

In the interview, Machado said she told her publicist that she always wanted to be open about her sexuality, saying, “Even Larissa or Anitta, both are not hypocrites. This is one thing I am not, in both characters.”

Despite experiencing very real queerphobia in her line of work, the singer has also been accused of faking her sexuality entirely. “Some people say I am ‘fake bi’ because I never dated a girl like a long-term relationship,” she told InStyle. “But come on, even my relationships with guys cannot last more than three months.” And honestly, what’s more relatable than being a chaotic bisexual when it comes to dating people of all genders?

On a more serious note though, out bisexual celebrities often face inappropriate accusations that they are “faking” their sexuality for some kind of perceived clout. Naysayers should know that there aren’t really any advantages to being out as bisexual, from Heartstopper star Kit Connor feeling “forced” to come out in the face of “queerbaiting” accusations to Amber Heard’s bisexuality being used against her during the Johnny Depp defamation trial.

Still, despite the personal and professional obstacles she has faced, Anitta remains a rising star stateside, building off the success she has long enjoyed in her home country. Last year, Anitta earned her first ever nomination at MTV’s Video Music Awards, taking home the Best Latin honor for “Envolver.” She was also nominated in the same category for this year’s VMAs, this time cinching the win with “Funk Rave.” Her performance at the ceremony was one of the highlights of the evening too. Clad in a jumpsuit that appears to nod to both the Brazilian flag and the bi flag, the singer brought a crew of neon-clad hotties of all genders to the stage of music’s biggest night for a medley of “Used To Be,” “Funk Rave,” and “Grip.”

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