Mara Wilson: ‘Coming out as bi was an emotional decision’

Mara Wilson’s decision to come out as "bi/queer" after the shooting at Orlando gay nightclub Pulse was "an emotional decision".

The 29-year-old actress – who was a child star with movies including ‘Matilda’ and ‘Mrs Doubtfire’ – took to social media to reveal her sexuality in the wake of the Orlando mass shooting in June, in which 49 people were killed.

She told PEOPLE: "It was an emotional decision.

"If I had known it was going to trend on Facebook, I don’t know that I would have done it just then. But the vast majority of the feedback has been positive."

After the shooting in Orlando, Mara shared a picture of herself on her first visit to a gay club at the age of 18 and hinted at her sexuality, saying the LGBTQ community felt like home when she "learned something about myself".

She wrote: "Me at a gay club when I was eighteen. I feel embarrassed looking at it now…

"Being a "straight girl" where I clearly didn’t belong, but I will say, I felt so welcomed there. I have never had a better experience at a club than I did then. Great music and people. And one of my friends met his partner that night!

"I haven’t been to one since college, except once when a friend brought me along. I didn’t feel like I belonged there.

"But the LGBTQ community has always felt like home, especially a few years later when I, uh, learned something about myself (sic)."

She added: "I *used* to identify as mostly straight. I’ve embraced the Bi/Queer label lately (sic)."

However, she insisted that despite her decision to reveal her sexuality on Twitter, she still planned to remain "pretty private" about her relationships.

She said: "Your support is much appreciated. I will say, though, I’m still gonna be pretty private about my relationships, as I always have been."

Mara recently wrote a memoir, ‘Where Am I Now? – True Stories of Girlhood and Accidental Fame’ which tells of her time as a child star and her life afterwards.