Top 10 Most Famous Celebrity Coming Out Moments
When these celebs came out, we can't say we were surprised but they certainly made it memorable! For this list, we've included the time Ellen came out via her TIME magazine cover, when Ricky Martin came out by posting a personal letter on his website, when Ellen Page spoke at the HRX's Time to Thrive Conference and came out during a speech and more!
#10: Lance Bass
The first celebrity coming out story that many millennials remember is none other than Lance Bass of *NSYNC. According to Bass, rumors from bloggers lead to magazine writers giving Bass an ultimatum: come out publicly or be outed in 24 hours. Though this came from an unfortunate situation, Bass was able to turn it around for good. He came out in a down to earth front cover interview with People Magazine in 2006. He also made history in 2015, when his wedding, documented in “Lance Loves Michael”, became the first televised same sex marriage.
#9: Ricky Martin
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You know what they say, fatherhood changes everything. In early 2010, Ricky Martin posted a letter on his website, in both English and Spanish, officially revealing himself to the world as a “fortunate homosexual man”, in his own words. The birth of his children inspired him to be open. He had already felt sick of hiding, but the thought of lying to his children was the final straw. Since then, he has become not only a proud husband and father, but an influential philanthropist who raises money for various causes.
#8: Jason Collins
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In 2013, basketball player Jason Collins made headlines when he became the first openly gay man to play in one of the four major American sports. In his article in Sports Illustrated, he admitted he didn’t necessarily want to be the first. However, he stepped up to the plate (or onto the court, in this case) with an air of kindness and hope. After the Boston Marathon bombing, he realized that life was short and that there is never a perfect time to come out. LGBTQ+ people of color in sports may not get much representation in the media, but with people like Collins, maybe things can change.
#7: Ellen Page
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In 2014, Ellen Page spoke at HRC’s Time to Thrive Conference. During the speech, she gave her engaged audience a big surprise. She revealed she was tired of, as she says, “lying by omission”. She commended the bravery of those who came out before her, naming several, from athletes to singers. She urged people to move past judgements and to be open to those are different. With a faltering voice, she ended her speech. And just as she poured out her love to the crowd, celebrities and fans alike sent theirs right back.
#6: Rosie O’Donnell
Love her or hate her, she certainly knows how to make herself known. The comedienne made her confession on the stage of New York’s famous comedy club, Caroline’s on Broadway. Soon after playing a lesbian mother on “Will & Grace”, the former talk show host made an announcement that didn’t exactly come as a big surprise. During her announcement, she admitted she wasn’t sure why people make “such a big deal about the gay thing”. Big deal or not, the announcement added one more name to the list of celebrities who laid it on the line.
#5: Jodie Foster
During her acceptance speech for the Cecil B. Demille award at the Golden Globes, Jodie Foster made an announcement. She’s...single. And gay. Like many celebrities, she lived in a ‘glass closet’. Everyone has different reasons for keeping that door shut, and privacy was hers. This reasoning caused controversy within the LGBTQ+ community, but ultimately led to praise and hope. A gay actress accepting a lifetime achievement award is a beautiful testament to how far we’ve come. And according to fellow actor Wilson Cruz, coming out doesn’t have a set timeline. It’s a hard decision for everyone, especially given that it once meant career destruction.
#4: Anderson Cooper
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Even before coming out, Cooper was covering stories about those who have been ‘other’ed, victims of prejudice and injustice. His goal was to be an observer, to let himself be the lens through which viewers could see the world. He didn’t think his sexuality was something he needed to necessarily let his fans and viewers know about. He said, "I've always believed that who a reporter votes for, what religion they are, who they love, should not be something they have to discuss publicly.” His “coming out” was a quiet one, written in an email to a fellow reporter, but it was groundbreaking nonetheless.
#3: Frank Ocean
This artist is making waves in rap and R&B, a genre often closed off to those in the LGBTQ+ sphere. Ocean opened up about his personal life in a beautiful, honest Tumblr post. He wrote about falling in love with a man during a time of heartbreak and self-discovery. In an interview with GQ, he refused to label himself as bisexual, or anything else. He says as an artist, it’s his job to not be confined by a label, or trapped inside a box. It’s a coming out story as unique as any, and shows there’s not one right way to do it.
#2: Wanda Sykes
It’s important to remember the warriors for equality, from Stonewall to today. All those who protested Proposition 8 made a difference in 2008. Because of them, the ban on gay marriage was ultimately overruled. At one of the protest rallies, Wanda Sykes took the podium. She told CNN that she didn’t even plan it. Full of anger, it just came out. She declared she was “proud to be a black woman, and [...] proud to be gay.” She pressed that Prop 8 had not shut the LGBTQ+ community down, but brought them even closer together. She also correctly predicted that because of their determination, gay marriage would one day be legal across the U.S. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. Sir Ian McKellen Barry Manilow Wentworth Miller
#1: Ellen Degeneres
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After months of hinting, Ellen DeGeneres came out in TIME magazine on April 14, 1997. The cover story came with the iconic title, “Yep, I’m Gay!”. Shortly afterward, her series premiered the two-part “Puppy Episode”, in which her character comes out to her friends, and most importantly, herself. It was a humorous and touching story. Though her show only got one more season, her career has since skyrocketed. Now with her own talk show, she regularly uses her position to give to those less fortunate. She also married Portia de Rossi, who came out in 2005. If there's anything to take away from this, it's that love is love and it will always win.
