People We Love 2019: Jonathan Bennett

Where is Mean Girls hunk Jonathan Bennett now? He’s all grown up, openly gay and his coming out is still inspiring new generations of the film’s fans.

Whatever Happened to that Beautiful Boy from Mean Girls?

It’s very possible that you fell for Jonathan Bennett – along with much of America – when he starred as Lindsay Lohan’s love interest in Mean Girls. That film celebrated its fifteenth anniversary in 2019. In the intervening years Bennett has continued to act, host (notably Food Network’s Cake Wars), and even took a sojourn to the Celebrity Big Brother house.

Who Is That Hunk Jonathan Bennett Is Dating?

It was in 2017 that Bennett set our heart a-flutter all over again, when he came out and revealed his relationship with Amazing Race contestant and TV host James Vaughn. “I feel so grateful to be so embraced and supported by my community,” says Bennett. “ I plan to continue to use my platform for good and raise as much money as possible for the organizations that need it, as well as being able to bring awareness to issues that need support. We all have to work together.”

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What’s So Inspiring about Todrick Hall?

Bennett points to Todrick Hall as a fellow member of the LGBTQ community who inspires him. “Not just because of his insane talent and the amazing work he does to bring awareness to issues in our community, but because of his hustle,” explains Bennett. “I have never seen anything like it. He inspires me to work harder every day.”

What’s It Like to Have Fans Who Aren’t Familiar with the LGBTQ Community?

Part of Bennett’s work includes touching the hearts of people with very different life experiences. “What I love about my job is that I am able to reach a vast amount of people that might not be exposed to LGBTQ [people] on a daily basis,” Bennett shares. “And hopefully I’m able to let them see there’s no difference between straight love and gay love. There’s just love. If conservatives watch me and like it, great! If they hate it, great! That’s really none of my concern. I’m just gonna do me, and remember that I’m never too much, and I’m always enough.”

What Jonathan Bennett Means to LGBTQ Youth

Yes, he’s still feeling the love as new generations continue to discover both Mean Girls and the fact that he’s gay. “I get thousands of messages from LGBTQ students who are fans of Mean Girls, who say that seeing me out and proud with my partner has given them the courage to come out themselves. I really don’t know how to digest it sometimes. To think that I had even the slightest impact on their lives is a true honor.”

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