Tell Me Lies actress Cat Missal made headlines this week for far more than just her on-screen performance. Days after the Hulu drama wrapped its three-season run with a jaw-dropping series finale, Missal stepped into the spotlight in a deeply personal way — publicly introducing her partner Jess Panneton and coming out as gay in a candid interview. The cat missal partner story instantly captivated fans across the country, blending celebrity news, LGBTQ+ visibility, and a Hollywood love story that feels refreshingly real compared to anything Bree experienced on screen.
Here is everything you need to know about Cat Missal’s real life, her relationship with Jess, and what comes next for the 26-year-old actress as she moves beyond one of Hulu’s most talked-about dramas.
Share this story with a friend who loves Tell Me Lies — you will want to talk about this one.
The Finale That Started It All
The Tell Me Lies series finale aired on February 17, 2026, on Hulu. Creator Meaghan Oppenheimer had long planned for three seasons to serve as the complete arc of the show, and the final episode delivered on that promise in spectacular fashion. Bree, the character Missal played throughout the series, ended up at the center of one of the finale’s most shocking twists — it was Bree who leaked Lucy’s confession tape, a revelation that sent the fandom into a frenzy almost immediately after the episode dropped.
Bree’s story concludes with a turbulent mix of betrayal, consequence, and unresolved tension. She marries her college boyfriend Evan, only for the show to reveal in its final moments that she had been secretly involved with their friend Wrigley throughout the season. The ending left fans divided and deeply invested, with many taking to social media to debate whether Bree deserved sympathy or condemnation.
For Missal, portraying Bree over three seasons was both demanding and deeply personal. She has spoken about how Bree’s emotional journey — growing up in foster care, navigating a complicated relationship with her mother, and constantly reckoning with her own identity — required her to access real feelings about self-discovery and growing up. Though Missal’s own life looks nothing like Bree’s chaotic story, she found unexpected common ground in the character’s ongoing effort to understand who she truly is.
“Well, I Am Gay, So Thank God”
Just one day after the finale aired, Missal sat down for an interview at the Teen Vogue offices alongside her partner, Jess Panneton. When the conversation turned toward the toxic men who populate the Tell Me Lies universe, Missal responded with a laugh and a line that instantly went viral: “Well, I am gay, so thank God.” Jess, sitting right beside her, smiled and responded warmly, reassuring her that she was safe.
The moment was simple, casual, and completely genuine — and that authenticity is exactly why it resonated so powerfully with fans. Missal had kept her personal life quiet throughout the show’s run. While her co-stars were making headlines with their real-life romances — Grace Van Patten and Jackson White as a couple, Branden Cook and Katherine Hughes announcing their relationship, Spencer House and Sonia Mena confirming theirs — Missal stayed largely private. That silence made her revelation feel all the more meaningful.
At 26, Missal is navigating a major transition in her public life. She went from being one of the most private members of the Tell Me Lies cast to one of the most talked-about, all within the span of a single week.
A Love Story That Started at a Drag Show
The story of how Cat Missal and Jess Panneton met is the kind of meet-cute that screenwriters dream about. The two crossed paths at a drag show in West Hollywood. Missal’s sisters were there with her that night, and they quickly noticed something was different about the way their sister was acting. According to Missal, her sisters immediately picked up on the chemistry: “Who are you flirting with? Who’s that?” She recalled the moment with genuine warmth, describing it as feeling kismet.
Today, the two live together in the Valley area of Los Angeles. Their home also includes two cats — named Chicken and Bunny — which adds a charming domestic detail to what is already a deeply relatable love story. Missal, who describes herself as an extreme hiker who will spend hours on trails alone, clearly values a life that is grounded, intentional, and a little offbeat. That spirit seems to carry through in her relationship as well.
Jess attended the Teen Vogue interview in what felt like a show of solidarity and love, and the easy chemistry between the two was immediately apparent to anyone who watched the exchange. There was no performance involved — just two people genuinely comfortable in each other’s company.
Bree vs. Real Life: The Contrast Could Not Be More Striking
One of the reasons the internet has reacted so warmly to Missal’s coming out is the stark contrast between her real relationship and the fictional one her character endured throughout Tell Me Lies. Bree spent three seasons making questionable decisions, getting entangled with emotionally unavailable men, and navigating a web of secrets and self-sabotage that ultimately cost her dearly in the finale.
Meanwhile, Missal’s actual life tells a very different story. She is in a stable, loving relationship with someone who shows up for her publicly. She has a home she loves, pets she adores, hobbies that ground her, and a family that has always been woven into the entertainment world alongside her. She is the fifth of six children, many of whom work in music, acting, or social media. Her path into acting began when she was just five years old, after a manager spotted her in a community theater production.
Missal has also contributed musically to Tell Me Lies, recording two original songs for the show’s soundtrack, including a cover that became a standout moment for viewers. That creative range — acting, music, physical endurance activities like hiking — paints the picture of someone who has been quietly building a full and intentional life outside of the spotlight.
What’s Next for Cat Missal?
With Tell Me Lies now officially concluded, Missal is openly looking for her next chapter. She has expressed interest in projects with grit and texture, and she has a particular love for science fiction — citing the film Alien as a personal favorite. That combination of dramatic intensity and genre ambition suggests she is ready to take on roles that push her in new directions.
She also wants to keep making music. Her contributions to the Tell Me Lies soundtrack were well-received, and expanding that side of her creative life appears to be a genuine priority rather than a side project.
The coming-out moment, while powerful, does not seem to be something Missal planned as a grand announcement. It came up naturally, with her partner beside her, while she was simply being honest about her life. That kind of quiet, matter-of-fact visibility — no press release, no red carpet declaration, just a laugh and a real answer — is what made it land so well with audiences across the country.
From Bree’s Mess to Real-Life Bliss
The Tell Me Lies fandom spent three seasons watching Bree make one complicated choice after another. Fans grew attached to the character precisely because she felt so human in her flaws. Knowing now that the actress behind Bree is living such a grounded, loving, and authentic life offscreen adds a layer of satisfaction to the whole experience.
Cat Missal stepped off the set of one of Hulu’s most emotionally exhausting dramas and walked straight into an interview with her partner, two cats waiting at home, and a career that is just beginning to show its full range. That, by any measure, is a happy ending worth talking about.
If Missal’s story hit you in the heart, drop your thoughts in the comments below — and keep watching this space for everything that comes next from one of Hollywood’s most exciting rising stars.