In her new memoir, Cassandra Peterson, better known as Elvira, comes out by revealing her long-term secret relationship.

The Advocate shared excerpts from Yours Cruelly, Elvira, where Peterson detailed the 19-year relationship she's had with a woman named Teresa "T" Wierson. It all began at a gym, where Peterson first noticed Wierson. Though attracted to her, the two merely struck up a friendship as Peterson was married and still unsure about her feelings. But that all changed one rainy night after both of their relationships ended.

"There on the doorstep stood my trainer, T, holding a trash bag full of her belongings, looking sad and bedraggled," Peterson writes. "She’d split from her longtime partner, spent some time in rehab, and now had no place to go."

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“I think I was even more surprised. What the hell was I doing? I’d never been interested in women as anything other than friends," Peterson reveals. "I felt so confused. This just wasn’t me! I was stunned that I’d been friends with her for so many years and never noticed our chemistry. I soon discovered that we connected sexually in a way I’d never experienced."

Once the pair connected, they were inseparable, starting a secret relationship while Wierson served as Peterson's assistant in her business affairs. Sadly, Peterson feared that her fans wouldn't accept her and her partner, so she kept things quiet.

"Would my fans hate me for not being what they expected me to be?” she says in the book. "I’m very aware that there will be some who will be disappointed and maybe even angry, but I have to live with myself, and at this point in my life, I’ve got to be truthful about who I am."

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In 1981, producers of the Los Angeles-based Fight Night were looking to revive the format with a new host. They sought Maila Nurmi, best known as Vampira, but she declined. After open auditions, Peterson landed the role of the new host, and eventually crafted the Elvira persona. Similar to Vampira but far more vivacious, the character caught on and Elvira eventually became a cultural sensation outside of Los Angeles.

Now, the personality is ready to live more authentically. "For the first time in my life, I’m with someone who makes me feel safe, blessed, and truly loved."

Elvira's 40th Anniversary, Very Scary, Very Special Special debuts Sept. 25 at 8 p.m. EST and will be available via the Shudder TV feed in the Shudder app. It will also release on all Shudder platforms Sept. 27.

Source: The Advocate