The Most Famous Lesbian Celebs Who Were Once Married to Men

Many well known women have shared that their paths to living openly as lesbians included earlier marriages to men. Their stories span entertainment, sports, science, fashion, politics, literature, and activism, and together they show how public lives can evolve over time while careers continue to flourish.

Below are twenty recognizable names who were legally married to men earlier in life and later built lives with women or publicly identified as gay. For each person you will find straightforward details about the previous marriage, the later coming out or same sex partnership, and the work that made them famous.

Portia de Rossi

Portia de Rossi married filmmaker Mel Metcalfe in 1996 and their divorce was finalized in 1999. She later spoke about keeping her personal life private during those early career years while she worked on shows like ‘Ally McBeal’.

She began a relationship with Ellen DeGeneres in 2004 and the couple married in 2008. De Rossi also starred in ‘Arrested Development’ and continued acting and business ventures after coming out.

Wanda Sykes

Wanda Sykes married record producer Dave Hall in 1991 and they divorced in 1998. Sykes worked behind the scenes in comedy and won Emmys as a writer before becoming a full time on camera performer.

She came out publicly in 2008 and married Alex Niedbalski in 2009. Sykes has since appeared in projects like ‘The New Adventures of Old Christine’, ‘Black ish’, and ‘The Upshaws’ while continuing stand up and activism.

Kelly McGillis

Kelly McGillis married Boyd Black in 1979 and later married Fred Tillman in 1989. Her film career included starring roles in ‘Top Gun’ and ‘Witness’ along with stage work.

McGillis said in 2009 that she was gay and later moved away from Hollywood to focus on teaching and regional theater. She has discussed co parenting from her second marriage while living openly as a lesbian.

Meredith Baxter

Meredith Baxter was married three times to men, including actor David Birney. She became widely known to television audiences for her role on ‘Family Ties’ and other series work.

She came out in 2009 in an interview on ‘Today’ and later married contractor Nancy Locke in 2013. Baxter has continued to act and write while speaking about her family life and earlier marriages.

Billie Jean King

Billie Jean King married Larry King in 1965 and the couple divorced in 1987. During her tennis career she won 39 major titles and became a leading voice for equal prize money and women’s sports.

Her same sex relationship became public in the early 1980s and she later married longtime partner Ilana Kloss in 2018. King remains active in sports leadership and philanthropy.

Sally Ride

Sally Ride married fellow astronaut Steven Hawley in 1982 and they divorced in 1987. She became the first American woman in space on the Space Shuttle ‘Challenger’ and later founded an education company focused on science for kids.

After her death in 2012 it became public that she had shared a decades long partnership with Tam O’Shaughnessy. Ride is now widely recognized as a trailblazing lesbian scientist and astronaut.

Janis Ian

Janis Ian married filmmaker Tino Sargo in 1978 and they later divorced. She had already earned acclaim for songs like ‘At Seventeen’ and continued to release albums and tour.

Ian came out as a lesbian in the early 1990s and has been with Patricia Snyder since 1989, marrying in 2003 in Toronto. She has combined music with literacy and scholarship work through her foundation.

Carol Leifer

Carol Leifer married comedian Ritch Shydner in 1981 and they divorced in 1987. She built a writing and producing career on series such as ‘Seinfeld’ and ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’.

Leifer later came out and married Lori Wolf in 2015. She continues to write books, perform stand up, and work on television while sharing experiences from both marriages and motherhood.

Edie Windsor

Edie Windsor married Saul Windsor in 1951 and their brief marriage ended the following year. She later worked at IBM and met Thea Spyer, beginning a partnership that lasted for decades.

Windsor and Spyer married in Canada in 2007 and Windsor’s challenge to a federal tax bill led to the United States v. Windsor decision in 2013. That ruling struck down a key part of the Defense of Marriage Act and changed marriage law nationwide.

Glennon Doyle

Glennon Doyle married Craig Melton in 2002 and they divorced in 2016. She became widely known for the books ‘Carry On Warrior’ and ‘Love Warrior’, along with a growing speaking career.

Doyle later said she was a gay woman and married retired soccer star Abby Wambach in 2017. She continues to write and co host the podcast ‘We Can Do Hard Things’ while co parenting with her former husband.

Lauren Morelli

Lauren Morelli married television writer Steve Basilone in 2012 and they divorced in 2014. While writing for ‘Orange Is the New Black’ she realized she was gay and shared that process in an essay.

Morelli later married actress Samira Wiley in 2017. She has continued to write and produce for television while raising a daughter with Wiley.

Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir

Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir married Þorvaldur Steinar Jóhannesson in 1970 and they divorced in 1987. She served for decades in Icelandic politics and became prime minister in 2009.

She entered a civil union with playwright Jónína Leósdóttir in 2002 and they married in 2010. Sigurðardóttir was the first openly gay head of government in modern times.

Mary Portas

Mary Portas married Graham Portas in 1990 and they divorced in 2003. She became widely known for retail consulting and television series such as ‘Mary Queen of Shops’.

Portas later formed a civil partnership with Melanie Rickey in 2010 and they converted it to marriage in 2014. She has spoken about parenting children from her first marriage alongside her later same sex family life.

Nancy Kulp

Nancy Kulp married Charles Dacus in 1951 and they divorced in 1961. She became famous for playing Miss Jane Hathaway on ‘The Beverly Hillbillies’.

Late in life she acknowledged that she was a lesbian in an interview. Kulp continued acting and also ran for Congress after her television career.

Susan Powter

Susan Powter married Nic John Villarreal in 1982 and later married Lincoln Apeland. She became a household name through the fitness infomercial catchphrase Stop the Insanity and hosted ‘The Susan Powter Show’.

Powter later came out as a lesbian and has been open about raising her children from her earlier marriages. She has continued to write and appear in media while living openly.

Share the names you would add to this list in the comments so everyone can keep the conversation going.