Former Scottish First Minister Sturgeon Denies Affair, Discusses Non-Binary Sexuality in Memoir

Nicola Sturgeon, the former Scottish First Minister, has addressed and rejected rumours of a secret affair with Catherine Colonna, the then French ambassador to the UK, which circulated widely on social media around 2019-2020. In her memoir 'Frankly,' Sturgeon describes these rumours as false, fueled by homophobia, and notes how they infiltrated her personal and public life, causing distress despite her dismissing the sexual orientation insults themselves. She revealed that she and Colonna laughed about the rumours when they met post-lockdown and even appeared together in photographs to mock the gossip. Sturgeon also discussed her sexuality as non-binary, emphasizing that sexual relationships are private matters and sharing that long-term relationships with men have been part of her life for over thirty years. She expressed concern about how fake stories spread via social media, questioning whether external forces like bots might be involved. Overall, Sturgeon used her memoir to clarify the falsehoods while highlighting the broader issues of privacy, identity, and the impact of online misinformation.