From a Hunger Games hunk to a Disney Channel starlet, here are famous people you didn’t
know were gay or bi:
13. Zachary Quinto
This actor, famous for his role as Spock in the newer Star Trek films and Sylar in Heroes,
publicly came out as gay in 2011. During an interview with New York magazine regarding
the LGBT community, he simply stated, “[A]s a gay man, it made me feel like I - there’s
still so much work to be done. There’s still so many things that need to be looked at and
addressed. The undercurrent of that fear and that, you know, insidiousness still is swarming.
It’s still all around us.” Although it wasn’t news to him, it was news to many
of his fans. In 2016, he opened up about what it’s like to be part of the LGBT community
in today’s political and social state. He said, “I am scared. I don’t take anything
for granted. There are indicators of the pendulum swinging the other way right now in terms
of the political temperature… We have to fight with everything we have to continue
the path that we’ve been able to gain such ground on in the last five to ten years.”
12. Raven Symone
People everywhere had no idea that the That’s So Raven star, who also played Olivia on The
Cosby Show, was gay until she came out after deciding she was done with the television
industry. She later talked about her coming out on a video titled “It Gets Better.”
Raven noted, “I never thought I would come out because my personal life didn’t matter…
I knew I couldn’t say it out loud because, ‘Oh my god, little Olivia is gay, this is
crazy.’” But, Raven knew that she was gay by the time she was twelve. After she
was finally able to tell the world who she was, she said, “I felt lighter. I felt like
I could go out and not have to put on seventeen different hats to be myself.” In 2015, she
came out of retirement to be one of the co-hosts on The View.
11. Jillian Michaels
One of the world’s most famous fitness trainers, Jillian Michaels, kept her sexuality private
for a different reason. She gained recognition after whipping people into shape on The Biggest
Loser in 2004. But, she didn’t come out until 2012. When asked later on if she wished
she’d come out sooner, Michaels answered, “No, and here’s why. Adoption was something
I was passionate about and planning on pursuing. I didn’t know where the future was going
to take me, where I was going to live, or where I was going to find my child, but I
did know [that the system penalizes same-sex couples] and that I needed to be able to say,
‘I’m a single mom,’ to adopt in certain places. I was not going to allow prejudiced
people with power to limit my ability to find the right child for me.” But, when Jillian
did publicly reveal her orientation, she was happy to show her children that you should
be proud of who you are.
10. Jason Mraz
Another person you probably wouldn’t have guessed is bisexual is Jason Mraz. The “I’m
Yours” singer stated in an interview with Billboard in 2018 that when he wrote a poem
for pride month, he didn’t know that it would be so revealing. A line in the poem
read, “I am bi your side.” Jason stated, “Honestly, I didn’t realize it was going
to be so telling. But I’ve had experiences with men, even while I was dating the woman
who became my wife. It was like, ‘Wow, does that mean I am gay?’ And my wife laid it
out for me. She calls it ‘two spirit,’ which is what the Native Americans call someone
who can love both man and woman. I really like that.” A story on NBC stated that “Two
Spirit” people are those who have both a woman and man’s spirit and can travel between
both genders.
9. Jaden Smith
Just about everyone has heard of Jaden because of his father, Will Smith. He was born in
1998 and is an actor, songwriter, and rapper who’s been gaining popularity in recent
years. However, nobody guessed that Jaden might be bisexual. In November 2018, he announced
that Tyler, The Creator was his boyfriend during a performance in Los Angeles. He said,
“I just want to say Tyler, The Creator is the best friend in the world, and I love him
[so much]. And I want to tell you guys something. Tyler doesn’t want to say, but Tyler’s
[my boyfriend] and he’s been [my boyfriend] my [whole life]. Tyler, The Creator is [my
boyfriend]. It’s true!” If you watch the video, then you’ll see that when the camera
cuts to Jaden’s alleged boo, he is laughing and shaking his head. Although many people
believe the young artist was simply trolling fans, it remains unclear whether or not he
was being serious… at least somewhat so. Even back in 2015, Tyler said he had a boyfriend;
he wrote on Twitter, “I tried to come out [the closet] like four days ago and no one
cared…” Jaden has always been gender-fluid and hasn’t defined his preference regarding
men or women. He dresses that way as well. In 2016, he told British GQ, “I don’t
see man clothes and woman clothes, I just see scared people and comfortable people.”
So, who knows? He could very well like all genders.
8. Josh Hutcherson
Another celebrity you might not have guessed is bi is Josh Hutcherson. The Hunger Games
star opened up about his preferences in November 2013 during an interview for Out magazine.
He said, “I would probably list myself as mostly straight. Maybe I could say right now
I’m 100% straight. But, who knows? In [a year], I could meet a guy and be like, ‘Whoa,
I’m attracted to this person.’” He added, “I’ve met guys all the time that I’m
like, ‘...that’s a good-looking guy,’ you know?... I really love women. But, I think
defining yourself as 100% anything is kind of near-sighted and close-minded.” Hutcherson
is a well-known advocate for LGBT rights and works with the organization Straight But Not
Narrow. He recalled in 2012 that a letter he received from a fourteen-year-old boy reassured
him that his hard work is well worth it. He noted, “He was in this very right wing and
religious sort of area and he sent a letter saying how SBNN changed his life and how he
was able to feel more comfortable coming out to his friends. I was almost bawling reading
it. That makes all our work worth it.”
7. Sarah Paulson
This American Horror Story star has often been defined as gay or bisexual by other people.
However, she refuses to label her own sexuality and doesn’t like it when others do so. Paulson
came out by accident in 2005 with her then-girlfriend, actress Cherry Jones. She stated, “She won
a Tony Award, I kissed her, and all of a sudden I was outed. I didn’t really think about
it in that way at the time - I was just doing what one would do when a person they love
has just won a big fat acting prize. What am I gonna do, pat her on the back and say
‘good job, dude?’ It didn’t occur to me to do anything but what I did.” In 2016,
she noted that she doesn’t want to label herself as a lesbian. She said, “If my life
had to be predicted based on what was expected of me from a community on either side, that’s
going to make me feel really straitjacketed, and I don’t want to feel that.” She added
about her girlfriend since 2015, “What I can say absolutely is that I am in love, and
that person happens to be Holland Taylor.”
6. Ian McKellen
Ian McKellen is another famous actor, notable for his roles as Gandalf in The Lord of the
Rings series and Magneto in X-Men. He came out as gay about thirty-one years ago during
a discussion regarding Section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988 on BBC Radio. The bill
prevented local authorities from “promoting homosexuality by teaching or publishing material.”
When McKellen was asked if he would like it to be abolished, he said, “I certainly would.
It’s offensive to anyone who is - like myself - homosexual, apart from the whole business
of what can and cannot be taught to children.” Since then, the actor has spoken out several
times about his sexuality and his beliefs about the LGBT community. He even noted that
coming out made him better at his job in 2015, stating, “What happened immediately, according
to friends, is I became not just a happier person, but a better actor.” Thirty years
after his coming out, he took to Twitter to reassure those who’ve struggled with their
identities. He wrote, “I’ve never met a gay person who regretted coming out - including
myself. Life at last begins to make sense, when you are open and honest...”
5. Ellen Page
Everybody fell in love with this actress after her starring role in Juno. But, many people
didn’t know she was gay until she came out in 2014 during a Human Rights Campaign event
in Las Vegas. She stated to the audience, “I’m here today because I am gay and because
maybe I can make a difference, to help others have an easier and more hopeful time. Regardless,
for me, I feel a personal obligation and a social responsibility. I am tired of hiding
and I am tired of lying by omission. I suffered for years because I was scared to be out.
My spirit suffered, my mental health suffered, and my relationships suffered. And I’m standing
here today, with all of you, on the other side of all that pain.” Page continues to
be very active in the LGBT community and spoke about her beliefs during a February 2019 interview
with Independent. She said, “Gay marriage… it’s not a debate. Whether you have the
religious right [to not serve] a queer person or a trans person, that’s not a debate.
And the media needs to stop treating it like it’s a debate… It never has been.”
4. Kristen Stewart
You’ve probably heard that Kristen Stewart is gay by now, but the world was shocked to
hear that the Twilight star was interested in women back in 2017. She came out while
hosting an episode of Saturday Night Live. President Trump had tweeted about the actress
when her affair with the Snow White & The Huntsman director, Rupert Sanders, came to
light. He wrote, “Robert Pattinson should not take back Kristen Stewart. She cheated
on him like a dog & will do it again - just watch. He can do much better!” Kristen addressed
the statement on SNL, stating, “If you didn’t like me then, you’re probably not going
to like me now, ‘cause I’m hosting SNL and I’m like, so gay, dude.” Of course,
Stewart isn’t only interested in women, as she’s dated Robert Pattinson and Michael
Angarano, in addition to her female partners. But, she certainly isn’t straight. Kristen
is currently dating Sara Dinkin, a celebrity stylist.
3. Wentworth Miller
Everyone’s favorite Prison Break star revealed that he’s gay back in 2013. Wentworth had
been invited as a guest of honor at the St. Petersburg International Film Festival. However,
the Russian government isn’t accepting of LGBT individuals, which struck a chord with
Miller. He decided to turn down the invitation because he didn’t feel right attending an
event in a country that doesn’t welcome gay individuals. He wrote, “As a gay man,
I must decline. I am deeply troubled by the current attitude toward and treatment of gay
men and women by the Russian government.” Later on, he stated that he hopes to help
other LGBT people by being open. Wentworth told Metro, a British newspaper, “Just by
being an openly gay man who is a regular on a show that is received well in the world
- it has the potential to impact people and maybe change a few minds.”
2. Drew Barrymore
One of the world’s favorite actresses, Drew Barrymore, came out as bisexual in a 2003
interview. She even revealed that she’d been intimate with many females throughout
her teenage years. Barrymore noted, “Do I like women…? Yeah, I do. Totally. I have
always considered myself bisexual. I love a woman’s body. I think a woman and a woman
together are beautiful, just as a man and a woman together are beautiful. Being with
a woman is like exploring your own body, but through someone else. When I was younger I
used to go with lots of women. Totally - I love it.”
1. James Franco
Back in 2016, James Franco made headlines for discussing his sexuality during an interview
with New York Magazine. The interviewer asked whether or not he was gay because Franco has
noted that he’s “gay in [his] art life and straight in [his] life.” He stated,
“There is a bit of over-focusing on my sexuality, both by the straight press and the gay press,
and so the first question is ‘Why do they care?’ Well, because I’m a celebrity,
so I guess they care who [I’m with]. But if your definition of gay and straight is
who [I’m intimate with], then I guess you could say I’m [a gay tease]. It’s where
my allegiance lies, where my sensibilities lie, how I define myself. Yeah, I’m a little
gay, and there’s a gay James.” However, the actor has never come out as fully gay
or straight; so it’s unclear what his definite preference is, and it’s possible that he
doesn’t have one.
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