14 Celebrities Who Came Out Later and Found Happiness

As our society progresses, previously impossible or frowned-upon concepts are now accepted and normalized. However, some people still struggle to accept and reveal certain aspects of their true selves. Fearing judgment from friends, family, or the public, they conceal their true identities. It’s essential to come to terms with one’s identity as it can bring comfort, relief, and love at any age.

Sara Ramírez

Sara Ramirez, the star of Grey’s Anatomy, publicly revealed her bisexuality in 2016, but not before fearing discrimination in her personal life and career. Ramirez’s success and talent overshadowed her sexuality, and she hopes to inspire others to be comfortable with their true selves regardless of societal expectations.

Sarah’s journey of self-discovery led her to the realization that she is non-binary. At 44 years old, Sarah finally found the courage to come out and embrace her true identity. Being non-binary “isn’t about being married to one hairdo or a way of dressing,” Ramirez says. “It has more to do with your understanding of gender being on a spectrum. A lot of times you don’t feel male or female, other times you feel like both, and at times you feel like neither.”

She added, “In this society, we often feel this pressure to live in these rigid boxes. When I stepped out of the box I had put myself in, I discovered my own possibilities for change.”

Braunwyn Windham-Burke

Braunwyn revealed that she has had a longstanding attraction to women, a realization that took her over 4 decades to come to terms with. She says, “I’m just now starting to feel like I’m becoming the woman I was supposed to be. So, for me to be living completely authentically and say, ‘I’m a lesbian. That was who I have always been.’”

At age 20, Braunwyn tied the knot with Sean Burke, and together they are raising seven children. Despite their challenges, the couple has prioritized their children and remains committed to their marriage. Braunwyn considers Sean to be her closest friend, and they have no intention of getting divorced.

Braunwyn has recently entered into a relationship with a woman named Victoria, who Sean is familiar with. Although they are not one big family, Braunwyn has shared that Sean and Victoria have a respectful and courteous relationship with each other.

Carl Nassib

Carl Nassib has made history as the first openly gay player in the NFL. He has disclosed that for 15 years, he kept his true feelings to himself and lived through a difficult time.

Nassib has expressed hope that someday, society will progress to a point where coming out will no longer be a necessary step. In the meantime, he is committed to promoting acceptance and understanding towards all individuals.

Caitlyn Jenner

Caitlyn Jenner, a former Olympic champion, publicly revealed in 2015 that she had always identified as a woman and embarked on a transition at 66. She acknowledged that being transgender is a challenging experience, and the transition process can be traumatic for families.

Despite the difficulties, Jenner remains hopeful that she can serve as an example of a positive outcome for individuals going through similar struggles. Her story has inspired many people who had long hesitated to take this step, and she hopes to continue advocating for transgender rights and acceptance.

Aunjanue Ellis

At 53 years old, the actress publicly acknowledged her bisexuality in an interview with “Variety”. While her friends and family were aware of her sexual orientation, she had not been particularly motivated to share this aspect of herself with a wider audience. As a result, many people were unaware of it.

During the “Essence Black Women in Hollywood Awards” event in March 2022, the actress wore a jacket featuring the word “Queer” on the sleeve, but the gesture went unnoticed by attendees.

While Aunjanue’s family has supported her, they have preferred to avoid drawing public attention to her sexuality. When asked why she had not previously discussed her orientation, she responded that no one had ever asked her.

Rick Cosnett

The well-known actor, who happens to be Hugh Grant’s cousin, publicly disclosed his homosexuality when he was 36 years old. He shared a message on his social media account, emphasizing his commitment to living a truthful and serene life in accordance with his personal values.

He added, “Sometimes that is a really hard thing to do when you have all these subconscious things you don’t even know about from childhood and from society and from being, you know — just life.”

Emeli Sande

A 35-year-old singer has made public her recent discovery of the love of her life. The 2 women were brought together by their mutual love for music, and Sande attests to never having been happier. She added, “I’ll always love music, and I love my career, but now it just feels that despite what happens, I can just enjoy life and be really happy. If you don’t really have someone to share it with or someone supporting you behind the scenes, it’s very difficult. I’m not sure what I identify as, but I guess so. I just feel like I should fall in love with whoever I fall in love with.”

Jessica Phillips

At the age of almost 50, a well-known actress from Broadway lived with her husband, Ted Wilson, and two children from her previous marriage. She had to leave New York and move to Los Angeles temporarily. During her time away from her family, she took the opportunity to explore herself and ultimately discovered that she identified as queer.

She said, “It wasn’t about changing identities, rather expanding my identity. That period of time really was a beautiful experience for me and also really painful and scary and sad because, as you know, when we open ourselves to change and newness, there’s loss attached to that, and there was a lot of loss for me.”

Jessica and her friend, Chelsea Nachman, have revealed a new aspect of their relationship. The actress expresses her delight at her sons’ acceptance of the changes that have occurred in her life. She adds, “I do not have the answers, but I know that taking risks is okay and changing your mind is okay.”

Mackenzie Phillips

At the age of 62, the well-known actress declared publicly that she identified as bisexual. She said, “I’ve had boyfriends, I’ve had girlfriends throughout my life.” Talking about her personal life, she jokes that she loves everybody, “Not everybody, almost.”

Phillip Schofield

When he was 57 years old, a well-known television star from Britain openly announced his sexuality as gay. He credits his wife Stefanie and their two daughters for supporting him in this decision, and stated that he took his time to carefully consider the situation before confiding in his spouse.

He said, “We’ve never had any secrets. She’s amazing, she’s incredible there’s no one in my life who would have supported me, as a wife the way she’s supported me.”

Witold Sadowy

The Polish actor, journalist, and writer marked his 100th birthday by publicly revealing his homosexuality. During an interview on tv, he said, “I’m gay. Now I have said everything, as in confession. I am proud that I was an honest man. I don’t regret anything.” Since 1942, he had been in a relationship with an engineer named Jan Ryżow.

DJ Qualls

At 41 years old, the actor made the decision to publicly announce his homosexuality on Twitter, “It is 11:20pm. I just came out on stage at a show in San Diego. Yep, I’m gay. Been gay this whole time. Tired of worrying about what people would think of me. Tired of worrying about what it would do to my career.”

Prior to this, Qualls had kept his personal life private, but received an outpouring of support from his friends and fans following his honest confession.

Kal Penn

During an interview about his book “You Can’t Be Serious,” the 45-year-old actor known for his role in Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle openly declared his homosexuality. He also revealed that he had been in a committed relationship with his boyfriend for 11 years and they were engaged to be married. While Penn had not concealed his feelings, his family and partner had initially wished to keep their relationship private.

Kal expressed gratitude for his family’s unwavering support. He added, “I discovered my own sexuality relatively late in life compared to many other people. There’s no timeline on this stuff. I’m glad I did when I did.”

Gabby Tuft

At the age of 41, the ex-professional wrestler, known as Tyler Reks, came out as a transgender woman. Despite facing difficulties in her own journey, Gabby is committed to working towards making the process of coming out as transgender less traumatic for others. Today, she is an active member of the transgender community and advocates for their rights.

During her childhood, she enjoyed wearing her mother’s dresses but was aware of the potential disapproval from others. Following her retirement from professional sports, she began experimenting with her wife’s clothing and makeup while alone at home.

Fortunately, her wife Priscilla and daughter were incredibly supportive of her. Priscilla not only taught her how to use makeup and wear heels, but also helped her overcome her depression. Eventually, Priscilla gently encouraged her to consider transitioning, and she has remained a constant support throughout Gabby’s journey. Gabby posted on her Instagram, “So this is Love. 24 years later, our connection and our bond is stronger than ever. Yours until the end of time.”

Bonus: Rebel Wilson wasn’t given a chance to choose a good time for coming out.

In 2019, Rebel Wilson conducted an experiment by dating a diverse range of people for a full year. Although it was challenging, she was ultimately pleased with the outcome. She said, “It actually really helped me in finding what I liked and what I didn’t like.”

Wilson was introduced to designer Ramona Agruma by a mutual friend who believed that the 2 women would hit it off, and he was proven right.

Rebel Wilson had no choice but to reveal her new relationship to the world when an Australian news outlet informed her that they planned to disclose it without her consent.

The actress was caught off guard by the unexpected publicity, but she decided to come out on her terms and posted this on Instagram, “It was a very hard situation but trying to handle it with grace.” The fans provided the couple with a great deal of support.

If you want to know even more curious stories from the personal life of stars then you may be interested in the following articles:

• 10 Female Celebrities Who Openly Share Why They Haven’t Had Kids
• 13 Celebrities Who Chose to Become Moms Later in Life
• Hilary Duff Revealed Why She Wanted Her 9-Year-Old Son to Watch Her Give Birth