Gillian Anderson Discusses Infamous Emmys Kiss with David Duchovny

The truth is out there. On social media, that is.

In 1997, Gillian Anderson won an Emmy for her role in The X-Files. She immediately celebrated by leaning in for a kiss with David Duchovny, with her boyfriend looking on.

Only afterward did she turn to kiss her boyfriend, Rodney Rowland, who was seated next to her.

In a video on Friday, Anderson finally addressed the moment.

“OK, so I’ve been told that you guys want some information about when I won the [Emmy] back about a century ago and I kissed David first and why did I not kiss my boyfriend Rodney,” she said.

“The fact is that David and I were actually living together and Rodney was my beard,” she joked. Anderson has previously stated that she is bisexual but was not out at the time.

“I’m joking, that’s just a joke. Is that really mean?” Anderson continued in the video.

“I don’t know why I kissed him first,” she admitted. “I guess because he was on the show with me and we were practically married because we spent more time with each other than we did with our loved ones. We were there to celebrate the series and so yeah. Maybe? Maybe that’s what it was?”

Anderson noted that Rowland was a good sport about it.

“Rodney was a great guy, don’t think it bothered him. He understood. It was complex,” she concluded.