Noa Cohen Says Her Attraction to Women Was Never a Big Deal

Noa Cohen, who grew up in front of the camera and later became an internationally recognized actress, is now focusing on "Dancing with the Stars" on Keshet 12, where a new episode airs Saturday after the news. In an interview with mako, she said the show is giving her a chance to reveal a side of herself people have not seen, while also discussing how she has dealt with criticism since childhood and her decision to speak openly about having dated women.

Cohen described the dance competition as "the craziest experience" of her life. She is paired with dancer Eitan Krips, whom she praised as essential to getting through the show, while he said working with her is "like winning the lottery" and that he feels grateful before every rehearsal. Cohen said she had no real dance background, explaining that as a child she was always on sets because she worked instead of joining clubs, though she does practice yoga and acro yoga.

She said people close to her have long felt that the public knows her but not who she really is, calling herself private, careful, and always in control. Cohen also said she is already used to backlash because she broke through at age 12, and learned that in this profession she must let criticism go. "I will bring myself as I am, whoever connects will connect, and whoever does not, that is no longer under my control," she said.

Asked about her earlier relationships with both men and women, Cohen said, "It is not a big deal. I did not feel a need to bring it up myself, and certainly not to hide it." She said her family never treated it as a question, only as a matter of personal freedom. She added that her main goal in the competition is to enjoy it despite the mental and physical pressure, the comparisons, and the scoring, and that she wants to feel that enjoyment during the process, not only afterward.