While The Maze Runner star Dylan O'Brien previously opened up about his appreciation and gratefulness towards his "trans, non-binary" sibling, the sibling in question, Julz, has spoken up about the truth behind the scenes.
Dylan O'Brien's Heartfelt Message to Trans Sibling Flushed Down the Drain
Later this year, Dylan O'Brien is set to star in the highly anticipated queer drama titled Ponyboi, led by River Gallo as the young intersex sex worker and laundromat employee must run from the mob after a drug deal goes sideways.
In comes Vinny (played by O'Brien), who is having an affair with Ponyboi behind his pregnant girlfriend's back.
Showing appreciation for representation and for his sibling, Dylan told Gay Times how "grateful" he is about him, "I have a trans, nonbinary sibling and I know people in my personal life as well who are queer, and I am so grateful for how much it deepens my experience in this world."
That, however, is corrected by Dylan's trans sibling, Julz, on the Instagram post below. "I'm actually trans masc and go by he/they pronouns," Julz wrote.
Julz then added, apart from not being included or tagged in the article, that O'Brien's heartfelt letter isn't entirely true. Despite being portrayed as siblings with a close relationship, Julz revealed they have "not spoken in over a year."
"He didn't check in when I had top surgery," Julz explained, "He didn't even wish me a happy bday last week! But glad I could deepen his experience in this world and make the world love him that much more."
Fans chimed in to back up Julz, some making them "question the extent of their research", while others empathized that their lack of closeness may not have anything to do with Julz's gender identity.
What Dylan Has Previously Said About Ponyboi and the LGBTQIA+ Community
Dylan O'Brien has openly expressed his excitement for the movie and called Ponyboi "tremendous" for representing the marginalized and underrepresented community.
"Going in, I was extremely uneducated on intersex and the intersex community," he said on a previous interview with Adobe, "This was such an enlightening experience to me and [River Gallo] is someone that I hold so dearly to me now that I'll have with me for the rest of my life as a friend."
Ponyboi first premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 20, 2024, in which Gallo received critical acclaim for writing and on-screen performance, with O'Brien's career shifting into darker territory as he introduces a new side to his acting range.
For now, it would be best to give the benefit of the doubt since Dylan and his rep have yet to step forward and address the developing story.
Let's not forget that we'll also be seeing O'Brien in Twinless, another LGBTQIA+ project written, helmed, produced, and starring James Sweeney, in which a group of people bond over the loss of their twin.
Meanwhile, Ponyboi is scheduled to release on June 25, 2025, on streaming platforms, and June 27 across the United States theaters.
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