Sexuality isn’t always linear, and many well-known women—especially those navigating fame—have taken complex, deeply personal paths to understanding their true identities. Long before LGBTQ+ visibility was common, several admired queer women spent parts of their lives married to men, shaped by both genuine connection and social expectations. Over time, they embraced their authentic selves, often in the public eye, showing courage amid scrutiny and stigma. Their stories reveal how identity evolves and how living openly can inspire others. Here, we look at six such women whose journeys reflect resilience, growth, and self-discovery.
1. Portia de Rossi
Before becoming one half of one of the world’s most famous queer couples, Portia de Rossi spent years suppressing her sexuality, shaped in part by industry expectations and fear of public reaction. Early in her career, she entered a brief marriage to a man, hoping stability might quiet what she felt inside. It didn’t. Only years later—after reaching a breaking point personally and professionally—did she accept that she was a lesbian. Her eventual marriage to Ellen DeGeneres became not only a personal turning point but a symbol of progress for LGBTQ+ representation. De Rossi has spoken openly about how self-acceptance freed her from years of hiding and allowed her to finally build a life she genuinely loved.
2. Sophia Bush
Sophia Bush made headlines in 2024 when she publicly came out as queer, years after two marriages to men. For Bush, love had always been sincere, but she later explained that she spent years ignoring signs that her attraction to women was more than fleeting curiosity. As she gained more insight into her identity, she realized that “queer” best represented her experience. Her openness has been praised for offering representation to people who come out well after their twenties. Bush’s story is a reminder that sexuality is not always obvious—even to oneself—and that identity can unfold gently over time.
3. Cynthia Nixon
Known for her role as Miranda on Sex and the City, Cynthia Nixon spent 15 years in a committed relationship with a man before eventually embracing her identity as a queer woman. While she has clarified that she doesn’t consider her sexuality a sudden shift, her long-term marriage to a man often surprises people who only know her as a vocal LGBTQ+ activist. Nixon has said that her attraction to women became undeniable once she allowed herself to explore it honestly. Her marriage to Christine Marinoni and her political advocacy have made her a strong voice for LGBTQ+ rights, illustrating how personal evolution can merge seamlessly with public purpose.
4. Billie Jean King
Billie Jean King’s marriage to a man came during a time when being openly gay could destroy a public career—especially for a female athlete constantly in the spotlight. While she married Larry King in the 1960s, her attraction to women eventually became impossible to ignore. The forced outing she endured in the 1980s was invasive and painful, but King transformed the experience into advocacy. Today, she is not only celebrated for her legendary athletic career but revered as a trailblazer who helped pave the way for LGBTQ+ acceptance in sports. Her journey underscores how authenticity sometimes requires bravery far beyond athletic competition.
5. Lauren Morelli
Lauren Morelli’s marriage to a man predated her breakout career as a writer on Orange Is the New Black. Ironically, working on a show centered on complex queer characters pushed her to confront questions about her own identity. While crafting storylines about sexuality, she realized she was gay—an awakening she later described as both terrifying and liberating. Morelli eventually divorced and later married actress Samira Wiley. Their relationship became a celebrated example of how growth and self-knowledge can emerge from creative work that forces honesty in unexpected ways.
6. Meredith Baxter
Meredith Baxter was a familiar face to American audiences long before she publicly came out. The Family Ties actress had been married three times to men, raising five children while maintaining a successful career. But in her fifties, she began exploring the possibility that her lifelong sense of disconnect in relationships had deeper roots. Baxter eventually acknowledged she was a lesbian and has since become an advocate for queer visibility. Her candor about discovering her identity later in life resonated with countless women who felt they, too, had missed chances to explore who they really were.