‘Yoga Hosers’ Star Lily-Rose Melody Depp Opens Up About Sexuality

Kevin Smith’s Yoga Hosers didn’t just reunite Lily-Rose Melody Depp with Harley Quinn Smith for the purposes of the horror-comedy. The two teens have been friends throughout most of their lives and remain close to this day, so, as the actresses reveal, they support one another as only BFF’s would do. For Lily-Rose, she seems to find it more comfortable to talk about things like her sexuality and growing up in the spotlight, while she has the support of gal pal Harley Quinn, who is more self-assured and engages everyone with her bright sense of humor.

Yoga Hosers star Lily-Rose Melody Depp opens up about her “queer” sexual orientation

Months ago, Lily-Rose came out to her Instagram followers, describing her orientation as queer, but she now says her words were misconstrued by both fans and journalists. In fact, Ms. Depp was trying to express an opinion about labels and, in so doing, her intention had been to bring attention to younger generations for steering clear of any labels.

“If you like something one day then you do, and if you like something else the other day, it’s whatever. You don’t have to label yourself, because it’s not set in stone,” says the Tusk actress. “It’s so fluid and there’s so much pressure on kids to label themselves and say, ‘This is what I am, this is what I like.’ I was just trying to say that it’s unnecessary; you don’t need to label yourself.”

Unfortunately, there’s still such a homophobic climate in society that Depp’s comments were taken as an admission that she was homosexual herself, the actress says with more than a little frustration. She found it particularly annoying, because her message was misinterpreted to say the exact opposite of her intention.

Giving her support, Harley Quinn adds that the situation proves that society is uncomfortable without those labels.

The two girls agreed that one person’s sexuality isn’t anyone else’s business, so there is really no need for labels of sexual orientation or gender. People become so obsessed with labeling others that it changes the whole dynamic of communicating with one another.

Lily-Rose Melody Depp with Harley Quinn Smith on a friendship that has already lasted a lifetime

When asked how long they have been friends, Lily-Rose and Harley Quinn seem to agree that kindergarten offered them their first meeting, though Depp is more open about the experience. She recalls being shy and feeling frightened enough to hide behind her mom, Vanessa Paradis, upon her first visit to the classroom. Harley Quinn, on the other hand, had been there for several weeks already, so she quickly drew Ms. Depp out of her shell. Lily-Rose says Ms. Smith was one of her very first friends.

That friendship has been brought to life on screen for the girls, and fans can thank Harley Quinn’s father for that. Kevin Smith both wrote and directed the film, proving that he has a special insight into the girls’ friendship. Lily-Rose says the connection between the two Colleens in Yoga Hosers, played by Depp and Smith, is based on their real friendship, so it was easy to find inspiration. She adds that, while Kevin Smith’s view of 15-year-old girls might have been slightly off, both she and Harley Quinn were able to draw inspiration from one another and their circle of friends.

Speaking of their fathers, who sometimes seem as eccentric as they are famous, the girls were asked what had been the worst or silliest advice given to them by their dads.

“Every day, before I leave my house, he tells me to ‘bring something stabby’ with me—like a knife, honestly anything pointy, just in case,” Harley Quinn Smith answered. “When I’m going anywhere, even to my friend’s house, just in case there’s a burglar. All times. So, I think that’s good advice, it’s just a little weird. My dad’s weird.”

Lily-Rose Melody Depp struggled with her answer, only because, as father Johnny Depp has already revealed on many occasions, he rarely interferes with his daughter’s sense of self.

“I don’t think he wants to impose and tell me a bunch of stuff… He lets me be. I’m a really independent person, so he lets me be independent. But obviously I know if I need advice I can go to him. I guess the silliest piece of advice he’s ever given me is “Don’t talk to boys” because it’s unrealistic, I guess. But that’s it.”

[Image by Jason Merritt/Getty Images for Sundance Film Festival]