Gay Celebrities with Surprising Heterosexual Pasts

As a movie reviewer, I’ve noticed a fascinating pattern with many stars. It’s surprisingly common to learn that a celebrity, now openly part of the LGBTQ+ community, spent years living a life that wasn’t entirely true to themselves. Often, they were in seemingly perfect heterosexual relationships, sometimes even marriages. It really speaks to the pressures of society and the often-long road to self-discovery. These stories aren’t just celebrity gossip; they’re powerful examples of courage and the struggle to live authentically, and it’s incredibly moving to see them share their journeys.

Elton John

Elton John and Renate Blauel were married for four years in the 1980s. Though their divorce was painful, Elton has always spoken highly of her and said it was a crucial step in his journey to self-acceptance. He spent years grappling with his sexuality before openly embracing his identity as a gay man. He later found long-term love with David Furnish and became a passionate champion for LGBTQ+ rights.

Ricky Martin

At the peak of his career, Ricky Martin had a long-term relationship with television host Rebecca de Alba, lasting over ten years. He often talked about his love for her and the idea of getting married, but they eventually went their separate ways. In 2010, he publicly came out as gay on his website, describing himself as a happy and fortunate man. His transformation from a popular heterosexual icon to an openly gay husband and father has been an inspiration to fans around the world.

Portia de Rossi

Portia de Rossi was married to filmmaker Mel Metcalfe for three years in the late 1990s. She has said she entered the marriage thinking it was what she should do, but she was secretly attracted to women. At the time, she was afraid of being discovered as a lesbian, especially given the Hollywood climate. Eventually, she felt comfortable living authentically and went on to form a well-known relationship with Ellen DeGeneres.

Meredith Baxter

As a lifelong movie and TV fan, I always loved Meredith Baxter as the mom on ‘Family Ties’. What a lot of people don’t know is that she went through a really interesting journey. She was married three times and had five kids, living what seemed like a very traditional life. But after her third divorce, she started to realize she was actually attracted to women. It wasn’t until her sixties that she really began to explore that side of herself. Her memoir is incredibly honest about what it was like to figure out her true identity after so many years in heterosexual marriages – it’s a really powerful story.

Wanda Sykes

Wanda Sykes, the well-known comedian, was married to music producer Dave Hall throughout the 1990s, but they divorced after seven years. During that time, she has discussed feeling pressure to fit traditional roles. She later came to terms with her identity as a lesbian and publicly came out in 2008. Today, she’s happily married to Alex Niedbalski and uses her voice to champion equal rights.

Barry Manilow

The famous singer, Barry Manilow, was briefly married to his high school sweetheart, Susan Deixler, in the 1960s. For many years, he kept his personal life private, worried that his largely female fans would be upset if they knew he was gay. He and his manager, Garry Kief, were together for almost forty years before publicly acknowledging their relationship. Manilow later explained that while his marriage to Deixler was affectionate, he wasn’t prepared for a long-term commitment or fully self-aware at the time.

Lance Bass

Lance Bass, a singer from the boy band NSYNC, famously dated actress Danielle Fishel, known for her role in ‘Boy Meets World.’ They even went to prom together and stayed friends after they split up. During NSYNC’s most popular years, Lance kept his sexual orientation private, fearing it would upset their young fans. He publicly came out in 2006 and later married Michael Turchin.

Neil Patrick Harris

Before becoming known as a gay icon, Neil Patrick Harris dated actress Christine Taylor. During their relationship, he realized he wasn’t experiencing the romantic connection he’d anticipated. He then explored his identity while continuing to thrive as an actor. He publicly came out in 2006 and has since become a prominent and visible gay actor in Hollywood.

Kelly McGillis

Kelly McGillis, known for her role in ‘Top Gun,’ was married twice and had two daughters. For many years, she tried to hide her attraction to women and conform to societal expectations. In 2009, she publicly came out in an interview with an online publication. Since then, she’s chosen to live a more private and genuine life, stepping back from prominent roles in Hollywood.

Sarah Paulson

Okay, so I’m a big Sarah Paulson fan, and it’s pretty interesting learning about her life. Before she started being openly in relationships with women, she was actually engaged to the playwright Tracy Letts. She’s dated both men and women throughout her life, but she’s been with Holland Taylor for a really long time now, and they seem incredibly happy. She doesn’t really like to put a label on her sexuality, which I totally get, but she’s definitely become a really visible and important figure in the LGBTQ+ community. It’s cool to see how her past relationships with men shaped her before she found something so lasting with Holland.

Cynthia Nixon

Cynthia Nixon, known for her role in ‘Sex and the City,’ was with her first partner, Danny Mozes, a teacher, for fifteen years, and they had two children together. They separated in 2003. She then entered a relationship with Christine Marinoni, an education activist, and publicly spoke about choosing to be with a woman. More recently, she’s explained that being queer simply reflects who she is now.

George Michael

Early in his career, George Michael dated women and openly discussed being attracted to both men and women. He found it challenging to be seen as a straight sex symbol during his time with Wham!. After a public arrest in 1998 brought his personal life into the public eye, he came out and spoke freely about his sexuality and his relationships with men for the rest of his life.

Jane Lynch

Jane Lynch, the well-known comedic actress, dated men for years before embracing her identity as a lesbian. She’s spoken about feeling like an outsider growing up and attempting to conform to societal expectations of straight relationships. Lynch didn’t publicly come out until she was successful in her career, and now she’s celebrated as a pioneer for LGBTQ+ women in comedy and on television.

Peter Marc Jacobson

Peter Marc Jacobson, who co-created ‘The Nanny,’ was married to the show’s star, Fran Drescher, for more than two decades. Even after their divorce, they continued to work well together creatively. After the divorce, Jacobson came out to Drescher, and the two remained close friends and professional partners. Inspired by their own lives, they later co-created the show ‘Happily Divorced’.

Joel Grey

The Academy Award-winning actor, Joel Grey, and actress Jo Wilder were married for twenty-four years and raised two children together. At the age of 82, Grey publicly came out as gay, sharing that it brought him a sense of relief after keeping his identity private for many years. The announcement received a lot of support from people in the theater and film industries.

Sara Gilbert

Sara Gilbert, the actress famous for her role on ‘Roseanne,’ had a romantic relationship with her co-star, Johnny Galecki, while the show was originally airing. During that time, Gilbert came to terms with being gay and shared her feelings with Galecki, who respectfully kept her secret and offered his support as she privately explored her sexuality. Later, she became a public voice for LGBTQ+ rights and went on to create the talk show, ‘The Talk.’

Clay Aiken

Clay Aiken, who finished second on ‘American Idol,’ dated women both during and after his time on the show. For years, he faced rumors about his sexuality but presented a public image as heterosexual. In 2008, after his son was born, he publicly came out, explaining he wanted to be truthful with his child. Since then, he’s been involved in both political and activist work.

Sean Hayes

During the early years of ‘Will & Grace,’ Sean Hayes was very private about his personal life. He dated women when he was younger, and later embraced his identity as a gay man. While some criticized him for not coming out publicly sooner, he’s explained that he needed time to come to terms with it himself. He’s now married to Scott Icenogle and also hosts a successful podcast.

Wentworth Miller

Wentworth Miller, known for his role in ‘Prison Break,’ had been the subject of relationship rumors with several Hollywood actresses before publicly coming out as gay. For years, he kept his sexuality private, worried it would negatively impact his career. Later, he refused to attend a film festival in Russia to show his opposition to the country’s discriminatory laws against LGBTQ+ people. His public announcement about being gay was widely celebrated for its honesty and thoughtful delivery.

Matt Bomer

Matt Bomer dated both women and men before realizing and accepting who he truly was. For years, he kept his personal life, including his marriage and family, private, fearing it might harm his career. He publicly revealed his husband and children in 2012 during an awards speech. Since then, he’s taken on memorable roles portraying gay characters and has also worked as a producer on LGBTQ+ projects.

Colton Haynes

Colton Haynes, known for his role in ‘Teen Wolf,’ was told by his team to conceal his sexuality while he was publicly dating women. This created significant anxiety and pressure for him, as he felt he needed to maintain a perfect image for his young fans. He publicly came out in 2016 and has since openly discussed the negative impact hiding his true self had on his mental well-being. He remains committed to raising awareness about mental health and encouraging people to be authentic.

Rock Hudson

Rock Hudson was a huge movie star in the 1950s, but he lived a secret life. He was married to Phyllis Gates, his agent’s secretary, in a relationship largely arranged by the studio to hide his true sexuality and protect his image as a leading man. For decades, he kept his private life hidden. Sadly, he was one of the first famous people to die from complications related to AIDS, and his death helped to change how the public understood the disease.

Robert Reed

Robert Reed, best known as the iconic TV dad Mike Brady from ‘The Brady Bunch,’ lived a private life as a gay man. Though he married Marilyn Rosenberger in the 1950s and they had a daughter, he kept his sexuality hidden, fearing it would harm his career and the show’s image. Later, his co-stars shared their regret that he felt unable to be open about who he was.

Jonathan Knight

During New Kids on the Block’s peak popularity, Jonathan Knight dated singer Tiffany. He kept his sexuality private while performing in front of a huge fanbase. Years later, Tiffany unintentionally revealed his sexual orientation in a TV interview, which he later confirmed himself. Today, he’s married and appears on a home improvement show.

Anthony Perkins

Anthony Perkins, famous for his role in ‘Psycho,’ was married to photographer Berry Berenson for almost twenty years, and they had two sons together. Though he had relationships with men throughout his life, he stayed married to Berenson until his death from AIDS-related complications. The full story of his personal life didn’t become public until after he passed away.

Tab Hunter

Tab Hunter was a popular actor in the 1950s, carefully promoted as the perfect boyfriend for teenage fans. While studio executives created fake romances with actresses like Debbie Reynolds to boost publicity, he privately lived as a gay man. Later in life, he wrote a successful memoir about the challenges of hiding his true self within the restrictive Hollywood system. His story revealed how far studios would go to maintain the heterosexual public image of their stars during that time.

Richard Chamberlain

As a total film buff, I was fascinated to learn more about Richard Chamberlain, the heartthrob from ‘The Thorn Birds.’ Apparently, he spent years living a double life, even dating women to try and squash any gossip about his true relationships. He was terrified that if people knew he was gay, it would ruin his career as a leading man. It took him until he was 69, and his memoir, to finally come out and share that he’d been in long-term relationships with men for decades. He’s said he wishes he’d done it sooner, but ultimately feels a sense of peace with being honest about who he is.

Clive Davis

Clive Davis, a famous music executive, was married twice and had children before publicly sharing that he is bisexual. He revealed this in his 2013 memoir, detailing how he found love with a man after his second marriage ended. Though he identifies as bisexual, he’s known for building a successful career and personal life that initially followed traditional paths before evolving to include a same-sex relationship later in life.

Robin Roberts

Before finding the person she would spend her life with, Robin Roberts dated others when she was younger. Throughout most of her career as a television anchor, she purposefully kept her personal relationships private. In 2013, she publicly revealed her long-term partner, Amber Laign, through a Facebook post. The announcement was praised for being simple and genuine, and she continues to be an inspiration for openly sharing one’s life.

David Hyde Pierce

David Hyde Pierce, best known as Niles Crane from ‘Frasier,’ previously dated women before finding lasting love with his husband. He intentionally kept his private life private while the show was popular. He and Brian Hargrove married in 2008, just before California’s Proposition 8 was voted on. Since then, he’s become a strong advocate for Alzheimer’s research and LGBTQ+ equality.

Let us know in the comments which celebrity story you found the most surprising.

2025-11-23 15:18