Baby Reindeer’s Jessica Gunning Details Being Celibate for 36 Years

by

Jessica Gunning is getting candid about her intimacy journey.

The Baby Reindeer star recently revealed why she waited 36 years to lose her virginity.

In a recent interview with The Times, the 40-year-old explained they believe their lack of romantic experience – they’ve never been in a relationship – is a key reason why. They admitted they often avoided dating men, which likely contributed to this pattern.

Jessica, who publicly came out as gay in 2022, discovered she could form meaningful relationships without necessarily involving physical intimacy.

She admitted she’d never been good at flirting and didn’t understand how to do it. She’d always been friendly with men, but usually played matchmaker for them, which was her way of signaling she wasn’t interested herself.

Though Jessica wasn’t sexually active, she admitted that it wasn’t a lonely period for her.

“Because my job was my passion and my love,” the British actress explained. “And the characters I got to play, I felt like I maybe lived vicariously through a lot of them.”

She explained that she felt confident and comfortable with her sexuality, which made her feel very happy and at peace with herself. Living with her close friend meant she didn’t feel alone and she felt completely content with her life, feeling like nothing was missing.

Honestly, seeing her finally explore and embrace who she is… it was huge for me, and I know for her too. Coming out publicly three years ago felt like a real turning point, like she was finally being completely herself, and it meant the world to see her do that.

In a June 2024 appearance on the Reign With Josh Smith podcast, Jessica described something as being a hugely significant moment for her.

I realized I was gay after being surrounded by LGBTQ+ friends for a long time. It wasn’t something I’d been hiding from myself, but I struggled to understand and accept it at first. Then it just clicked – I finally understood who I was, and it was a huge, clarifying moment for me. It all made sense after that.

For more stars who have shared candid confessions on their sex lives, keep reading…

The former mentor from Project Runway revealed in February 2026 that he hasn’t been in a relationship for over forty years, following a painful split.

He confessed to Chelsea Handler on her podcast, Dear Chelsea, that he’d been having many casual sexual encounters. He revealed this while explaining that he had been exclusively with her, and that this was happening in 1982, during the early years of the AIDS epidemic.

He explained that his initial sadness quickly transformed into intense anger, as he feared the encounter might have been fatal. For ten years afterward, he was tested for HIV every six months, but thankfully, the results were always negative.

Whenever he started to connect with someone, he was immediately reminded of a deeply painful experience from his past.

He explained that whenever he felt even a little drawn to a potentially meaningful relationship, memories of this past experience would flood back, overwhelming any romantic feelings he might have been developing.

In December 2025, the country singer revealed his sex life with his wife, Bunnie Xo, was “terrible” before he lost 200 pounds.

Okay, so everyone was trying to figure out why he was so into her, right? But he just laid it ALL out there on the Joe Rogan podcast. He was like, ‘Seriously, guys, I married a ridiculously gorgeous blonde with, well, let’s just say she’s blessed in the chest department!’ It was so…honest. And honestly, I totally get it. She is amazing.

Jelly Roll, whose real name is Jason Bradley DeFord, described how difficult intimacy became after gaining weight. He explained to Joe that his wife is incredibly supportive and always knows how to cheer him up, even when he’s at his lowest. However, he admitted that being significantly overweight made sex physically challenging, joking that it felt like ‘playing Twister’ just to get into position. He described the experience as awkward and frustrating, constantly asking his wife if things were working.

Brooks’ sister, Grace Ann Nader, let it slip that the Sports Illustrated model and her Dancing With the Stars partner, Gleb Savchenko, had a romantic connection beyond their dance practices.

Grace Ann shared on the Chicks In the Office podcast in May 2025 that whenever she went to visit Brooks’s trailer, it would visibly shake. She admitted she was hesitant to enter, always knocking first because of the movement.

Following her recent split from husband Billy Haire, Brooks playfully suggested that their living situation – in a trailer – might have been the reason they didn’t win.

In her 2025 memoir, Brooke Shields Is Not Allowed to Get Old, Brooke Shields openly discussed intimate details of her relationship with her husband, Chris Henchy.

She described the natural changes women experience with age, including hair thinning, increased facial hair, weight gain, vaginal dryness, and a decreased sex drive. She also shared feeling less attractive to her partner as a result of these changes, even when she’s not trying to impress him, according to People.

Furthermore, she said being intimate can be painful for her now.

Brooke explained that to really enjoy intimacy now, she needs a few things: her favorite lotions, comfortable clothes for bed (she joked that even calling them ‘sleepwear’ might be part of the issue), a special pillow, and perhaps a drink to help her unwind.

Katy Perry shared a surprising story about how she showed her appreciation to ex-boyfriend Orlando Bloom – she didn’t just say ‘thank you’ for doing the dishes!

During a September 2024 episode of her podcast, Call Her Daddy, Katy told Alex Cooper that if she came downstairs to a spotless kitchen – dishes done, pantry doors closed, everything tidy – she’d be expecting intimacy in return.

 

Chelsea is known for openly discussing her intimate experiences. She famously revealed that a threesome with her masseuse contributed to her split from Ted Harbert in 2010, which garnered significant media attention.

After getting a discouraging text from her ex, she felt she needed to clarify things.

Chelsea explained on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in October 2023 that she wanted to make it clear that the reason people thought her relationship ended wasn’t actually the real reason.

I’ve already publicly acknowledged that my husband and I had a lot of threesomes, and I want to be clear: that wasn’t the reason for our breakup. I didn’t leave him for the masseuse, despite what anyone might say.

The America’s Got Talent judge doesn’t have any hidden secrets, but some of their fashion choices might raise a few eyebrows.

She described the room she jokingly calls her ‘sex closet’ as quite large. ‘It’s full of outfits and all sorts of things,’ she explained on The Skinny Confidential Him & Her Show podcast in September 2024. ‘There’s a lot of space for things like wigs, clothes, shoes, and boots.’

She even revealed that her daughter Leni Klum accidentally encountered the space. 

In a January 2024 episode of the Call Her Daddy podcast, Heidi revealed that someone discovered her “sex closet.” She explained that the person immediately understood what it was, and even filmed it with a friend, which Heidi found embarrassing. She said, “Oh my God,” at the time.

John shared a behind-the-scenes look into what filming a sex scene is really like.

He explained on the August 2024 episode of Club Shay Shay that the experience wasn’t personal at all, and actually quite embarrassing.

Reflecting on his experience in the 2015 film Trainwreck, he admits he wasn’t ready for the explicit scenes he filmed with Amy Schumer.

He described Amy as wonderful, saying she created a really comfortable atmosphere. Then, after he got the role, the producers told him they wanted a very graphic and physically demanding sex scene, and that most of his lines wouldn’t be used – they just wanted to focus on the scene itself.

Shailene Woodley, who describes herself as comfortable with sexuality, has expressed strong disapproval of pornography, calling it an unhealthy and unsatisfying form of pleasure, like “junk food.”

In a September 2024 appearance on the She MD podcast, she explained that the way sex is typically portrayed in this country feels artificial, more like a show than genuine closeness, honesty, and connection.

It’s really important to feel good, but we often prevent each other from experiencing pleasure, maybe because we don’t realize what’s truly possible. That’s my issue with pornography – it offers a basic, limited experience when it could be so much more fulfilling and amazing.

Goldie Hawn, after being with Kurt Russell for four years, shared her key to making a relationship last.

In a September 2024 interview with TopMob News, she emphasized the importance of a satisfying sex life, stating it fosters connection and a sense of belonging. She believes healthy sexual relationships contribute to longevity, not just through the physical act itself, but also through the emotional warmth and intimacy they build.

Ice-T shared the key to his and Coco Austin’s lasting marriage – and it includes intimacy.

“Jungle sex,” he told TopMob News in January 2024. “That flame has to stay lit.”

He explained that once the initial spark fades and physical attraction diminishes, it’s important to address it promptly, as doing so is essential for the relationship’s health.

For Demi, there’s nothing wrong with feeling confident in the bedroom. 

In a September 2023 interview with the LadyGang podcast, she explained that she feels most confident during sex. She said being fully present in the moment helps her stop overthinking and clears her head, which often affects her judgment throughout the day. She clarified that this is just her personal experience and may not be true for everyone.

Lisa Rinna recently opened up about how aging has changed things in the bedroom with her husband, Harry Hamlin, after many years of marriage.

The actress recently told Cosmopolitan that a man’s level of desire naturally changes over time. She explained that it’s important for women to understand this is a normal part of life and not take it personally. She believes relationships then shift to focus more on companionship and accepting the natural fluctuations in sexual desire.

She explained that their sex life was still good, but naturally slowed down a bit as they got older. She felt this was perfectly normal, as it often happens when people move from their twenties and thirties into later years.

Zoe and her husband Marco have created a code word to talk about sex around their kids. 

During an April 2024 appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show, Marco jokingly said they “play Legos naked.” Zoe quickly explained he meant they have sex.

But the couple worried that their older twin boys were catching onto the lingo. 

Zoe told me the strangest thing happened to her and her friend. Apparently, someone actually asked them if they were kissing, and then, get this, if they were planning on playing with Legos… completely naked! She said they were totally shocked and immediately shut it down, telling the person, ‘No, we’re not going to do that!’ It was just so bizarre, and she was clearly still a little rattled when she told me about it.

Read More

2026-03-23 23:18