Shannon Purser of 'Stranger Things' comes out as bisexual

April 19 (UPI) -- Stranger Things alum Shannon Purser came out as bisexual this week.

The 19-year-old actress went public with her sexuality Tuesday on Twitter after facing backlash over a tweet to Riverdale fans.

"I don't normally do this, but I figure now is as good a time as any to get personal," she wrote. "I've only just recently come out as bisexual to my family and friends. It's something I am still processing and trying to understand and I don't like talking about it too much."

Purser, who played Ethel Muggs on Riverdale, came under fire for a since-deleted tweet "shipping," or supporting a romance between, the characters of Betty Cooper and Veronica Lodge, who share a kiss on The CW show's series premiere. Fans accused Purser of "queerbaiting," or teasing homoerotic tension between characters that is later denied.

"I'm very very new to the LGBT community," Purser said. "I have never heard the term 'queerbaiting' in my life until today. That being said, I have never wanted to alienate anyone and my tweet was thoughtless."

"I wasn't referring to all the beronica shippers, just the ones who had been particularly cruel to me personally," she said, using a nickname for the fantasy couple of Betty and Veronica. "Either way, it wasn't a wise or kind thing to say and I'm disappointed in myself. I apologize to those who were hurt."

Purser's post came a week after she posted a series of tweets saying she felt "anxiety" about her sexuality.

"Getting comfortable with your sexuality is a process. It's going to be OK. I wish I'd known that sooner," she wrote April 11. "Either way, I know what it's like to have anxiety about it. Especially trying to come to terms with it and my faith. It can be really scary."

Purser came to fame as Barb on Stranger Things, and has since appeared in three episodes of Riverdale. She will appear in the movie Wish Upon with Joey King and Life of the Party with Melissa McCarthy.

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— Shannon Purser (@shannonpurser) April 19, 2017