Elizabeth Gilbert, author of "Eat Pray Love" came full circle to find lesbian love with her partner Rayya Elias. Gilbert came out as gay after questions on her recent divorce from the second husband whom she met in the book surfaced. When asked if it was her relationship with Elias that broke up the idyllic marriage described in her book, Gilbert answered yes. That's how Bella Thorne admitted she was bisexual, in just such a simple way.
Elias is suffering from cancer and that motivated Gilbert to admit to lesbian feelings.
"Eat Pray Love" and love again
When Elizabeth Gilbert split from her husband of 12 years, a lot of murmuring occurred. The man she introduced as "Felipe" in the book became her husband after she left her first husband to go on the spiritual quest. Their relationship formed the "love" part of the "Eat Pray Love" trifecta. As the last stage of the journey, it was chronicled with even more passion than the other two. Intimate details of their sex life were described in graphic detail (which may have, in part, accounted for the wild popularity the book enjoyed).
In the 2010 film version, viewers got to know Gilbert and "Felipe" through portrayals of Julia Roberts and Javier Bardem. Gilbert says she wanted to keep her many fans fully in the loop on the divorce as they had shared the intimacy so fully.
LGBT logical conclusion for Gilbert?
Elizabeth Gilbert said she divorced "Felipe" to be true to herself and pursue her love for Elias. Seeing her girlfriend suffering though cancer convinced Gilbert to be honest about the true nature of the love for her friend. She didn't just come out generally gay. Gilbert had a very specific lesbian relationship in mind. She wanted to be not just a pal but a lover who could be there in the suffering in the capacity of spouse or partner.
Interestingly, an LGBT conversion might be a logical conclusion for "Eat Pray Love." The book was a kind of circular or spiral journey where each experience built on the last and prepared her for the next. Gilbert exited one relationship because it wasn't fulfilling. Could it be that the new relationship ceased to be fulfilling because Gilbert is on the next stage? Stranger things have happened.