More Women Explore 'Girl Crushes'

“Girl crushes” are now fairly common—and more women are leaving heterosexual relationships behind entirely, O the Oprah magazine reports. In some cases, women are quite honest with their male partners about the crush: “The acceptance of the husband, I think, gives them permission to explore being attracted to me,” says one reality-show star who often finds herself a target. More women, however, take it further.

“A lot of these women never expected to feel what they felt,” says an expert. “It was not a conscious decision. It was something they experienced happening to them.” Some ultimately realize they are bisexual. Others, like one comedian, conclude, “I think it’s safe to say, after you’ve been with a woman for 12 years, yeah, I’m pretty gay.” (More lesbians stories.)