Zoe Lister-Jones comes out as queer in her new romance debut
Zoe Lister Jones
Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for IMDbZoe Lister-Jones opened up about her sexuality while debuting her romance with filmmaker Sammi Cohen.
The Band Aid actress, 41, shared the update as she spoke The Hollywood Reporter at the Film Independent Spirit Awards on Sunday, February 25, which she attended with Cohen.
“I’m here, I’m queer, I have some anxiety, but I’m working through it,” Lister-Jones said when asked about her plus-one.
She went on to praise the Spirit Awards’ gender-neutral acting categories.
“I am so grateful to Film Independent that they are truly pioneers in that field. All awards shows should follow in their footsteps and make categories genderless,” the Life in pieces said alum. “I’m dating a non-binary person. I’m friends with so many non-binary people. And I think without really changing the paradigm in a bigger way, it closes a lot of doors to really important voices.”
The stars hit the red carpet to celebrate indie films at the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards on Sunday, February 25. Saturday Night Live alumnus Aidy Bryant hosted the afternoon event, which was held on the Santa Monica Pier in California, and introduced the ceremony as “the bisexual Oscars.” In fact, several past and present Academy Awards […]
Lister-Jones also took a moment to talk about Cohen, who directed the 2023 film So you’re not invited to my Bat Mitzvah.
“They are a great filmmaker in their own right,” she said.
Sammi Cohen.
Albert L. Ortega/Getty ImagesLister-Jones was previously married to an acting, writing and producing partner Daryl Wein from 2013 to 2022. The pair’s film collaborations include 2009 Break upwards and 2012 Lola vs.
Lister-Jones filed for divorce in September 2022, citing “irreconcilable differences.” She previously opened up about being “in and out of an open relationship” with Wein, 40, during a September 2021 appearance on Marc Maron‘WTF’ podcast.
“That’s why I have so many digestive problems,” she joked, noting that she had a “constantly engaged” jealous muscle when Wein was intimate with other people.
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During a joint New York Times During a 2012 interview, Lister-Jones called non-monogamy “scary territory,” while Wein said, “I take the glass-half-full approach because there may be some potential in the concept.”
Lister-Jones replied: “Of course you think so. You are a man.”
While the pair’s marriage did not last, Lister-Jones said THR that she is “still very close” with Wein.
“We’ve made a lot of films together,” she added.
Before confirming her romance with Cohen, Lister-Jones dropped a hint about her sexuality in June 2023.
“Queer ultimatum #happypride,” she wrote next to it via Instagram a picture of her looking into a refrigerator while wearing a cheeky bikini.
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Cohen, meanwhile, opened up about their coming out journey during a September 2023 appearance on the “Yenta!” podcast.
“It took me a long time to come out, and then it took me a little longer to come out as non-binary again,” the director explained. “It’s been a long, very, very slow, cold process. … I only came out to people out loud as non-binary through standup, like a year and a half ago. The first time I said it out loud, I was doing stand-up.
Cohen noted that the “levity” of performing comedy made the subject seem easier to talk about.
“I said it so casually,” they said.