Scooby-Doo star Linda Cardellini, who played Velma in the 2002 live-action film, has said how “great” it is that her character has finally come out as gay.
Scooby fans have long suspected Velma Dinkley was a lesbian and there have been a handful of hints since the show’s inception in 1969.
In July, it was confirmed that Velma, known for her trademark orange jumper and square glasses, was gay by the show’s creators and the new animated movie Trick or Treat shows the geeky science expert get her first love interest.
READ NEXT: Scooby-Doo movie cast members now – tense feud, co-star romance and quitting Hollywood
Tony Cervone, the supervising producer of Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated, shared a Pride-themed Instagram post with Velma against a rainbow background.
He also wrote: “I’ve said this before, but Velma in Mystery Incorporated is not bi.
“She’s gay. We always planned on Velma acting a little off and out of character while she was dating Shaggy because that relationship was wrong for her and she had unspoken difficulty with the why.”
When asked about Velma being a lesbian, Linda said: “Velma has been around since 1969; I just went trick or treating with my daughter and there were a lot of Velmas out there, so I love that she still has this place in culture that is sort of always active for decades.
“I think it’s been hinted at so many times, and I think it’s great that it’s finally out there.”
Linda, 47, also said she would love to play Velma again but that she is “probably too old”.
Cartoon writers said they tried to make Velma gay in the live-action movies but the studio kept “watering it down”.
Actress Hayley Kiyoko – who played Velma in the 2009 film – has also celebrated the news.
(Image: Warner Bros / Twitter)
She said: “I remember booking Velma in 2008. It was my first big role in a movie.
“I also remember thinking ‘I wonder if they know they hired a lesbian as Velma’ here we are, 14 years later… love you all so much.”
For more of the latest showbiz news from Daily Star, make sure you sign up to one of our newsletters here.
READ NEXT:
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
