The actress who played Matilda has come out in the wake of the Orlando shootings

Actress Mara Wilson pays her own personal tribute to the Orlando victims

Orlando #LoveWins
Orlando #LoveWins
(Image credit: Rex Features (Shutterstock))

Actress Mara Wilson pays her own personal tribute to the Orlando victims

(Image credit: Rex Features (Shutterstock))

Tragedy struck Orlando on Sunday morning, when a gunman opened fire at Pulse nightclub just before last call, killing 49 people and injuring a further 53, making it the deadliest mass shooting in American history and shaking the LGBTQ community.

In the wake of the heartbreaking news, the world has been showing its support with touching vigils held across the globe and well-known figures speaking up for the LGBTQ community on social media.

Now Mara Wilson, the actress who played Matilda in the 1996 film, has taken to Twitter to stand with the LGBTQ community, not only tweeting her support but also announcing to the world that she is bisexual.

Mara – or Matilda as you probably know her best – first uploaded a photo of herself at a gay club during her teenage years.

‘Me at a gay club when I was eighteen. I feel embarrassed looking at it now…being a “straight girl” where I clearly didn’t belong,’ she posted, ‘but I will say, I felt so welcomed there. I have never had a better experience at a club than I did then. Great music and people. And one of my friends met his partner that night!’

‘I haven’t been to one since college. Except once when a friend brought me along. I didn’t feel like I belonged there,’ she continued in a series of tweets. ‘But the LGBTQ community has always felt like home, especially a few years later when I, uh, learned something about myself.’

Along with Mara's empowering message, Lady Gaga also spoke out in support of the LGBTQ community in the aftermath of the Orlando shootings, at an emotional vigil in Los Angeles: 'I can't help but feel that this level of hatred, like all prejudicial crimes, this is an attack on humanity itself. This is an attack on everyone. Tonight, I gather humbly with you, as a human being, in peace and sincerity, in commitment and solidarity, to take a real moment and mourn the tragic loss of these innocent, beautiful people.'

Jenny Proudfoot
Features Editor

Jenny Proudfoot is an award-winning journalist, specialising in lifestyle, culture, entertainment, international development and politics. She has worked at Marie Claire UK for seven years, rising from intern to Features Editor and is now the most published Marie Claire writer of all time. She was made a 30 under 30 award-winner last year and named a rising star in journalism by the Professional Publishers Association.