Mark Ronson Has Fans Scratching Their Heads After He Identifies As ‘Sapiosexual’

In a head-scratching moment that many publications described as a “coming out,” musician and producer Mark Ronson told “Good Morning Britain” this week that he identifies as “sapiosexual.”

According to Psychology Today, a sapiosexual person is one who “finds intelligence and the human mind to be the most sexually attractive feature for a potential sexual relationship.”

During an appearance on “Good Morning Britain” Thursday, Ronson, 44, said he’d only just learned the term that day, but that he’d decided to embrace it.

Prior to his interview, the seven-time Grammy winner ― who co-wrote the Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga smash hit “Shallow,” from the movie “A Star Is Born” ― had observed another one of the show’s guests, author Nichi Hodgson, who defined sapiosexuality as “intelligence first.”

“I have dated men, women, trans men, trans women, and across the gender spectrum and identify now as bisexual,” Hodgson reportedly said. “The thing that has linked all these people has been their brains.”

When Ronson appeared, he told hosts Ben Shephard and Kate Garraway that he’d discussed the term backstage with some of the show’s producers.

“And yes, I feel like I identify as sapiosexual,” he said.

Ronson’s remarks made headlines in countless outlets, including People, USA Today and Billboard.

However, they received a frostier response on social media. Some people rolled their eyes at the idea of sapiosexuality itself, while others took issue with the way many publications framed Ronson’s remarks as a “coming out” moment, similar to someone publicly identifying as LGBTQ for the first time. (Ronson himself did not use the phrase “coming out.”)

Unlike Hodgson, a woman who has dated people of various genders, Ronson is a man who has only publicly been in relationships with cisgender women. In 2017, he split with his wife of nearly six years, the French model Joséphine de La Baume. Their divorce was finalized last year. 

Ronson has since been romantically linked to “Saturday Night Live” talent executive Rebecca Schwartz, with whom he attended the Academy Awards in February. 

According to a 2017 New York Times story on sapiosexuality, the term appears to have been coined in 1998 and began to gain wider usage in the early part of this decade. The concept has ruffled its share of feathers: Critics have called it pretentious and altogether ableist, saying it promotes the idea of choosing a partner based on class and a narrow definition of intelligence. 

A representative for Ronson did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment.

Watch Mark Ronson’s full “Good Morning Britain” interview below.