The former child star got candid while celebrating the 35th anniversary of LGBTQ+ bar The Abbey in West Hollywood.

Hocus Pocus star Thora Birch comes out as bisexual

The former child star got candid while celebrating the 35th anniversary of LGBTQ+ bar The Abbey in West Hollywood.

By Leigh Blickley

May 22, 2026 10:42 a.m. ET

Thora Birch at The Abbey's 35th-anniversary party on May 20, 2026. Credit:

Steve Granitz/FilmMagic

- Thora Birch came out as bisexual.

- The former child star, best known for her roles in movies like* Hocus Pocus, Now and Then, *and *American Beauty,* recently spoke about her history with the iconic Los Angeles LGBTQ+ nightclub The Abbey.

- Birch is married to talent manager Michael Benton Adler.

Thora Birch is sharing her truth.

The former child star, best known for her performances in movies like *Hocus Pocus, Now and Then, American Beauty,* and *Ghost World,* came out as bisexual on Wednesday while celebrating the 35th anniversary of the iconic LGBTQ+ nightclub The Abbey in Los Angeles.

"As a hometown girl, I'm always here to show my support for the community, which shaped so much of who I am and my identity as well, being a bi person," Birch, 44, said in an interview with *Us Weekly*.

She continued, "I don't want to get too political, but find your community where you can, and stand with them, and stick with them, and share that love that you share together, and reach it toward others. That's the only way we're going to get through all this madness, is just embracing one another. We have to stop fighting."

Thora Birch with Kathy Najimy, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Bette Midler in 1993's 'Hocus Pocus'.

Birch's representative told* Us Weekly* that the actress grew up in West Hollywood within walking distance from The Abbey, which has welcomed and championed the LGBTQ+ community since 1991, and that it has always felt like home to her.

** has reached out to Birch's representative for further comment.

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Birch has been married to talent manager Michael Benton Adler since December 2018. At the time of their wedding, she announced on social media, "It's done! I'm a married woman now… This is not the official photo, but it's my thank-you to all my fans for their positive energy! I felt it every second!! Party time." For the ceremony, Birch wore a black jacket over a white dress, her hair styled down with a veil, and Adler wore a gray suit with a black lapel.

Adler shared photos with Birch in December as they rang in the new year while on vacation. "Such a fun adventure," he wrote on Instagram. In 2023, he shared more photos of Birch, writing, "My wife is a badass."

Birch became a household name after starring in some of the most beloved films of the '90s, including* Now and Then*. The 1995 film followed a group of childhood best friends (Birch, Christina Ricci, Gaby Hoffmann, and Ashleigh Aston Moore) as they navigated their teen years and reconnected in adulthood. Melanie Griffith, Rosie O'Donnell, Demi Moore, and Rita Wilson played the grown-up versions of the characters, respectively.

Wilson recently expressed interest in starring in a *Now and Then* sequel, which Birch said she'd be down for.

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"You know, I love Rita, and bless her heart, and I feel like all of us would love that. I have no idea what that would look like, but it's a shared dream for sure,” Birch told *Us Weekly *of the prospect of a reunion with the cast more than 30 years later.

She added that she has "no idea" if there have been discussions about a sequel.

Birch most recently appeared in Kristen Stewart's 2025 feature directorial debut, *The Chronology of Water,* and in season 10 of *The Walking Dead *in 2019 and 2020.

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