The spotlight is so focused on celebrities and all that they do, say, and experience that sometimes it's easy to forget they are just regular people at the end of the day. For those who were brave enough to come out, they knew they were doing it at the very real risk of their careers. Some celebrities have alluded to their sexual orientation and eventually made a more public statement, while others have been very candid about wanting to share their personal choices and be accepted by those around them.
We’re not sure why it’s relevant for anyone to reveal any details about their personal lives, but the fans & the media take notice, and aren’t shy about casting judgment, either. Let’s take a look at 20 celebs who got so much cooler after they came out of the closet.
21 Cara Delevingne Says You Can Take It Or Leave It
We love Cara Delevingne’s approach to her sexual orientation. She really laid it all out in an interview with WMagazine, by explaining what sexual fluidity means. We all gained a whole new level of respect and admiration for Cara for putting it all out there for all to see in a very no-nonsense, “this is who I am” sort of way!
20 Neil Patrick Harris Credits Burt Reynolds’ Kiss
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Neil Patrick Harris has commanded some pretty sensational roles in Hollywood, but to many, he’ll be best remembered by the story he told about how a kiss with Burt Reynolds made him realize that he was gay. He retold the story to the Independent and we all fell in love with it. His honesty in his coming out letter was raw, real, and admirable which drew his fans in even closer.
18 Ellen DeGeneres Makes It Look Easy
Ellen DeGeneres has become the spokesperson for the gay community in so many ways. She definitely owned her orientation and has built an empire off her comedic, yet confident approach to her attitude about it. She’s found a unique way to be proud of her lifestyle choices, yet in spite of the fact that her orientation is “front and centre” in so many ways, it’s never perceived to be difficult or negative. Her lighthearted confidence is the envy of many.
17 Ricky Martin Doesn’t Care
The world rejoiced when Ricky Martin came out. There were so many years filled with speculation about his orientation that it was almost a relief for people to be able to freely discuss the topic. The best part was his attitude about the whole thing – he really didn’t care, which made him totally cool! He told Rolling Stone “You can think whatever you want” – and just like that, respect was earned!
16 Lil Nas X Did It On His Own Accord
Lil Nas definitely became way cooler after he came out, simply because of how he timed it. He told Billboard that he didn’t want to come out before he hit huge success and be told that he used that moment for attention. Instead, he waited until he achieved a No.1 hit on his own accord, drama-free. He’s quoted as telling Billboard “if you’re doing this while you’re at the top… it’s showing that it really doesn’t matter.”
15 Sam Smith Sounded Fresh And Confident
When Sam Smith came out as being non-binary, he definitely gained some popularity, and most would agree that it seemed like a sudden breath of fresh air in which he began to feel more confident and express himself more freely. In an interview with The BBC News, he said that coming out as non-binary “has helped him become happier with his own body image.”
14 Sia Just Rolls With It
Sia keeps things really real. So real, in fact, that she admits to never really thinking about her sexual orientation and just going with the flow of what feels right to her. We love her honesty and her openness towards this topic in general. In a society where people seem to be focused on defining everything and “understanding” it, Sia does it best by simply “being.”
13 Colton Haynes Broke Free
Colton Haynes took a very long time to come out due to the fact that his management team made him believe his career would suffer if the truth were revealed. His team of execs even created stories for the press to suggest he was dating women. After coming out, he told The Wrap that he became “happier than he’d ever been, and healthier than he’d ever been,” clearly showing the toll this secret had taken on him for so long.
12 Frank Ocean Churns Out The Sweet Tunes
Like many others before him, Frank Ocean became more likable and relatable after he came out in a public way. MTV reports about the letter he released online which talks about his first love as being another man, at the age of 19. He seemed to ignore his feelings for a while and when he went public in 2012, he seemed way more at ease– more relaxed. Even the sound of his music seemed sweeter!
11 Elton John Had It Rough In the ‘70s
It may have taken a while for Elton John to be respected for his decision to go public with his orientation, but eventually it worked in his favor. Rollingstone captures the fact that when he came out in the ‘70s, this wasn’t a very embraced topic. We respect his tenacity and his ability to remain current through the tough times, to then remain celebrated for the rest of his career.
10 Sean Hayes Felt Public Pressure
Sean Hayes, best known for his work on the hit show, Will & Grace, had a difficult time coming out to the general public. He said he felt a huge burden of responsibility to the gay community, and he was just not ready for it at such a young age, being such a public figure. He was always cool, but he definitely gained bravery points when he came out to silence the rumors and set people straight… about not being straight!
9 Adam Lambert Comes Out Twice
Adam Lambert’s coming out story happened twice! He spoke to the Guardian about how his coming out moment with his family was pretty laid back and accepting. He was in a way “forced” to come out again publicly when he saw fame after his success on American Idol. He opened our eyes to the strange necessity Hollywood has for people to make their personal life choices a completely public conversation.
8 Portia De Rossi Was Glorified
Portia De Rossi didn’t come out publicly until well into her relationship with Ellen DeGeneres. Being linked to Ellen in such an intimate way gained her instant stardom and definitely elevated her cool-factor. We can’t think of a cooler coming out statement than coming out with Ellen DeGeneres as a partner!
7 Billy Porter Becomes An Activist
Billy Porter came out after a seriously traumatic childhood which essentially made him suppress his true self for far too long. He has been loud & strong about his difficulties and now uses his own experience to strengthen others, and assist them through their transitions. The interview he gave to the Independent documents his journey and the movement he has created as a public voice for the LGBTQ community.
6 Barry Manilow’s Old-Age Coming Out
Barry Manilow has always had an eccentric personality and a unique flair on stage. When the singer finally came out publicly at the age of 73, it seemed he was not only embraced by his fans, but celebrated. He essentially relaunched his fame with greater respect and a more significant fanbase.
5 Brendon Urie Simply Loves Love
Panic! At the Disco frontman, Brendon Urie, gave a very insightful interview to USA Today back in 2018. He opened up about his sexuality and his attraction to both men and women, so long as they were “good people.” We absolutely love his ability to “love loving” and his complete lack of discrimination when it comes to who is at the receiving end of his love.
4 Bella Thorne Likes What She Likes
If the rest of the world fostered the same overall philosophy as Bella Thorne, it would be a more peaceful place! She gave a very candid interview to USA today about her eventual revelation of being pansexual, and she described it as “you like what you like. Doesn’t have to be a girl or a guy or a he or she or they or this or that. It’s literally you like a personality. You just like a being.” It’s really hard to argue the simplicity and realness of that point!
3 Caitlyn Jenner Is Now Living Her Best Life
Caitlyn Jenner is now, finally, living her best life. If ever there was an example of someone who really evolved after revealing their orientation, she would be the one! It took a lot of guts for her to come out, and when she did, she seemed more at ease and can be seen living a more naturally-suited lifestyle. She’s more than making up for all the years she suppressed her true emotions, and a world of opportunity has since opened up for her!
2 Kevin McHale Became Relatable
Kevin McHale definitely got cooler when he came out. He became generally more accepted, likely because in so many ways he became more relatable to his fans. The Glee star believed that his coming-out moment was not a surprise, but the world took notice when he said something about his orientation in a joking manner on social media.
1 Thomas Dekker Makes It Clear
Thomas Dekker’s coming out moment was so strong that it earned him immediate respect by many. Vulture outlines that after being outed by Bryan Fuller in a public spectrum, Thomas flipped the script, seizing the opportunity to slam Bryan’s approach and proudly embrace his own sexual orientation. Everyone loved him from the start, but there was a newfound level of respect after this incident.
