Matthew Lillard confirms Billy and Stu were gay lovers in Scream
– 2 min read
Actor Matthew Lillard has officially confirmed a long-standing fan theory: Billy Loomis and Stu Macher, the murderous duo from Wes Craven’s 1996 slasher classic Scream, were gay lovers.
Appearing at Silver Screen Con alongside co-stars Skeet Ulrich (Billy), Rose McGowan (Tatum), and Roger L. Jackson (the voice of Ghostface), Lillard leaned into the decades-old speculation with gusto. “We are the first husbands of horror,” he declared to a cheering crowd, adding, “We are the first gay couple ever in a horror movie and there’s nothing they can f**king say about it. You can’t touch it, you can’t take it away.”
The actor’s comments have sparked widespread celebration among fans, particularly within the LGBTQ+ community, who have long interpreted the intense dynamic between Billy and Stu as more than just friendship. Lillard’s impassioned message was aimed at young queer viewers: “If there’s a little gay kid out there going, ‘Oh my god’, we see you, we love you.”
We are the first gay couple ever in a horror movie and there’s nothing they can f**king say about it.
The theory isn’t without precedent. Screenwriter Kevin Williamson, who is openly gay, previously revealed that the characters were loosely inspired by real-life killers Leopold and Loeb, who were themselves in a romantic relationship. “It’s very sort of homoerotic,” Williamson said, “in the sense that there were these two guys who killed just to see if they could get away with it.”
Fans have long pointed to moments in the film that suggest romantic tension: Stu’s emotional dependence on Billy, the physical closeness during their villain reveal, and the infamous “peer pressure” line delivered with a vulnerability that hinted at deeper feelings.
Rose McGowan even joked during the panel that the relationship might have been a motive in her character’s death, calling it a “deep subplot that maybe they weren’t even aware of.” Lillard responded, “Maybe we were totally aware.”
With Scream 7 currently in production and legacy characters returning, speculation is rife that Stu Macher might reappear - potentially giving the franchise a chance to explore this relationship more explicitly.
