From child actor to Disney star to pop icon dubbed "Lesbian Jesus," Hayley Kiyoko built a career creating the representation she never had as a half-Japanese, queer artist. In this episode of She Pivots, Hayley opens up about becoming a community's symbol practically overnight while still figuring herself out, and how she moved from leading with fear to leading with confidence and self-love. She also shares how she found her fiancée, Becca Tilley, and reflects on the decade-long journey that culminated in her Girls Like Girls film and album—a project that started with high school heartbreak twenty years ago.

Happy Pride Month, Pivoters!

Girls like girls is out NOW. See it in theatres and check out the companion Girls Like Girls album.

 

Chapters:

 

00:00 Welcome to She Pivots

00:39 Guest Intro: Hayley Kiyoko

01:55 Hayley's Childhood

08:12 Early Music Career: Joining Stunners

13:26 The Birth of "Girls Like Girls"

18:27 20GayTeen: Music and Queer Identity

20:27 Music Industry Challenges

28:16 Hayley's Personal Identity Journey

34:33 The Journey to Film Direction

37:16 The Power of Representation on Screen

40:00 From Low Point to Launch

41:43 Do You Think You'll Pivot Again?

43:25 Reflections on Hayley's Journey

44:17 Podcast Credits

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She Pivots is a podcast created by host Emily Tisch Sussman to highlight influential women voices, share stories of bold career moves, and inspire women with interviews about career reinvention and how personal pivots can redefine professional success.

 

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