Kelley O’Hara has opened up on her famous post-World Cup kiss with her girlfriend, saying she knows that it came as a “shock” to many people.
In the midst of the U.S. women’s national team’s celebrations after defeating the Netherlands in the 2019 final, O’Hara went to the stands and kissed then-girlfriend, now-fiancée, Kameryn Stanhouse. The USWNT defender was not out publicly prior to the kiss.
Rather than speaking out in the immediate aftermath of the kiss, O’Hara stayed mum and allowed the moment to stand on its own as a statement.
The defender, who retired last year, spoke to Autostraddle about the kiss in Lyon, France, admitting that she may have stunned some observers.
“Throughout my football career I was known for being intense on the pitch. Whether practice or a game, I was fiercely competitive and expected 110% from everyone,” O’Hara said.
“Stepping off the field, I’m goofy and don’t take life too seriously. I think that’s why kissing my girlfriend, now fiancée, at the World Cup in 2019 was such a shock to people. I broke character from Kelley the soccer player to Kelley the partner just wanting to share the special moment with the person I love.
“In 2019, that was my happy ending, and we don’t get to see that enough. So I’m thrilled to be sharing a story, and a happy ending, with the world through ‘Ripe!’”
O’Hara and Stanhouse served as executive producers for “Ripe!” — a short film about two women’s soccer players who fall in love.
“I was drawn to the opportunity to be able to tell a story with a happy ending because I think the typical queer love story features a lot of pain and heartbreak,” O’Hara said of the film, which won Best Narrative Short at the Tribeca Film Festival.
