“The Big Bang Theory” star Johnny Galecki has been credited with helping ex-girlfriend and former co-star Sara Gilbert come to the realization that she is gay. Galecki and Gilbert dated while co-starring on “Roseanne” back in the 1990s, and Gilbert opened up on her past with Galecki in an episode of “The Talk.”

“So, some of you may know that when I was a teenager, I dated Johnny Galecki for a little while, who played my boyfriend and husband on Roseanne,” Gilbert said. “And I thought he was super cute and had a total crush on him, and we started dating, and he would come over, and we would make out, and then I would start to get depressed.”

Ouch. Knowing your girlfriend gets depressed when you come over has to sting, and Gilbert said that Galecki started feeling bad about it. “I eventually told him that I thought it was about my sexuality and he was super sweet about it,” Gilbert said.

When Gilbert started dating a woman, she trusted her secret with Galecki. “No one knew at the show for years, and Johnny held the secret the whole time, and I just felt like always so scared, if it came out, what could happen. Would I lose my career?”

While some people might expect for Galecki to be offended over his ex-girlfriend saying dating him helped her realize she is gay, Gilbert described Galecki as being supportive, something that holds true even today. Galecki and Gilbert have remained friends from their “Roseanne” years and worked together on “The Big Bang Theory” as fellow scientists. When Gilbert told Galecki she was planning to talk about how she figured out her sexuality on TV, Galecki offered to join her on “The Talk” and hold her hand.

Even though talking about her sexuality was visibly difficult at times during the show, Gilbert said that she wants “to live a true life” and to let everyone know that things do get better after coming out. Since coming out publicly in 2010, Gilbert has had roles on a few TV shows and created “The Talk.”

Thanks for all your questions & support today. Watch tomorrow's show it's @sherylunderwood's turn to tell her secret. #TalkLiveChat

— sara gilbert (@THEsaragilbert) September 12, 2013

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