Here Are 13 Celebrities Who Had No Option But To Address Their Sexuality To The Public

These celebrities were forced to discuss their sexuality against their wishes after they were publicly outed and pestered by persistent rumors.

Sometimes conversation around celebrities' sexuality is the result of pure ignorance, and other times it's malicious.

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Many celebrities attempt to keep their personal lives, especially their sexuality, private, but being scrutinized in the public eye doesn’t always allow for that.

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Here are 15 celebs who were forced to address their sexuality against their wishes but later found peace in taking control of the narrative.

1. Joshua Bassett had to elaborate on his sexuality after he made a quick remark about his attraction to one of the most famous pop stars in the world.

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Joshua sparked a lot of speculation about his sexuality after he commented in an interview about being attracted to Harry Styles, saying, "He's just cool. Like, he's cool. Who doesn't think Harry Styles is cool? Also, he's hot." He paused, caught himself, and then finished by saying, "I guess this is also my coming-out video." He later released a statement not defining his sexuality and said instead, "It's ok to still be figuring out who you are." 

2. Ricky Martin was aggressively questioned about his sexuality during a really bad interview with Barbara Walters.

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In a 2000 interview, Barbara Walters pressed Ricky to stop the rumors by simply saying, "Yes, I am gay or no, I'm not." He refused by saying, "Barbara, for some reason, I just don't feel like it." The moment left Ricky feeling violated, and he didn't officially come out until years later. A decade after the incident, Barbara expressed that she regrets how the interview was conducted. 

3. Lance Bass had to make a public statement after gossip bloggers like Perez Hilton bullied him with negative articles.

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In 2006, Lance had no other option but to make a public statement about his sexuality after gay gossip blogger, Perez Hilton, nicknamed him "Princess Frosty Locks" and contributed to the gossip surrounding the pop star's sexuality. It wasn't until two years later that Lance officially came out on his terms, but the damage to his privacy was already done.

4. Neil Patrick Harris also fell victim to the infamous world of gossip bloggers like Perez Hilton.

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In 2006, in what appeared to be a vicious outing campaign by Perez, Neil's sexuality was constantly questioned. Perez urged for gossip and stories to expose Neil's private life. To get ahead of the gossip and respect his husband, Neil officially came forward and shared his sexuality with the world.

5. George Michael was forced to address his sexuality after he was caught performing a "lewd act" in a public restroom in California.

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In 1998, George was arrested for "engaging in a lewd act" alone by an undercover officer in a public restroom in California. The officer did not elaborate on the nature of the activity other than he was visible to the public. This prompted George, after years of speculation, to address his sexuality on CNN, saying he "spent the first half of [his] career being accused of being gay when [he] hadn’t had anything like a gay relationship," he said. "I spent my years growing up being told what my sexuality was really…which was kind of confusing.” For years he tried to keep his sexuality private to avoid scrutiny.

6. Colton Underwood turned his coming-out story into a reality TV moment after receiving threats that nude photos of him would be leaked.

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Bachelor alum Colton received an anonymous email from someone claiming to have nude photos of him at a spa known for its gay patrons. Colton admitted that he was there, but fortunately, the photos never surfaced. To get ahead of the exposure, he met with his publicist and used his reality star fame to address his sexuality on national TV. Following the announcement, he released a Netflix series on the topic.

7. Kit Connor was faced with addressing his sexuality after portraying a bisexual character in a hit 2022 Netflix series.

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Kit Connor played the leading role of Nick Nelson, a bisexual teen discovering himself in the 2022 Netflix series Heartstopper. Unfortunately, fans couldn't separate the character from the actor, and Kit was constantly bombarded with questions surrounding his sexuality. He responded by saying that he's "perfectly confident and comfortable with [his] sexuality." He did not address any labels but was forced to discuss his sexuality against his wishes.

8. Lee Pace got really candid about his dating life after being pressed by a magazine reporter.

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In a 2018 interview with W Magazine, reporter Brian Moylan pressed the Broadway star about gay actors playing gay roles, and Lee became flustered and responded that "I've dated men. I've dated women. I don't know why anyone would care. I'm an actor, and I play roles. To be honest, I don't know what to say. I find your question intrusive."  

9. Tim Cook had no choice but to address his sexuality after a news anchor outed him on national television.

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In June 2014, the CEO of Apple, Tim Cook, was outed by CNBC anchor Simon Hobbs when he asked New York Times journalist Jim Stewart if Tim was fairly open about being gay at his company. A few days later, Tim responded by announcing he was "proud to be gay" and considered it to be one of "the greatest gifts that God has given [him]."

10. T.R. Knight was unfortunately outed in a nasty way when his Grey's Anatomy co-star called him a homophobic slur.

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In 2007, when Isaiah Washington infamously called T.R. Knight a homophobic slur, T.R. was forced to address rumors of his sexuality. T.R. used the moment as motivation to come out, telling Ellen DeGeneres in an interview, "I've never been called that to my face. So I think when that happened, something shifted, and it became bigger than myself.” Instead of letting it slide, he exclusively confirmed with People magazine that he was gay after years of keeping his sexuality private.

11. Chaz Bono eventually became an advocate for LGBTQ+ rights after he was publicly outed by a tabloid in the '90s.

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Before Chaz Bono became an outspoken advocate of LGBTQ+ rights, he was forced to address his sexuality after he was outed as a lesbian by the tabloids. In a 1995 interview with the national gay and lesbian magazine the Advocate, Chaz officially addressed his sexuality. Years later, Chaz would once again be forced to address his private life after his transition. 

12. Jonathan Knight was outed by his '80s pop star ex-girlfriend.

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The New Kids on the Block band member had to address his sexuality after his ex-girlfriend — '80s pop star Tiffany — told Andy Cohen on Watch What Happens Live she discovered her ex was gay after they dated. Jonathan released a statement the next day, and Tiffany apologized for the mistake. In the end, there were no hard feelings, but the process was still against his wishes.

13. Lastly, Clay Aiken was forced to address his sexuality against his wishes when Rosie O'Donnell carelessly attempted to defend him on national TV as a "gay man" before he was out to the public.

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In 2006, the American Idol runner-up was a guest host on Live With Regis and Kelly. Clay and Kelly did not get along during his tenure, especially after he attempted to cover her mouth with his bare hand. Kelly responded, "I don't know where that hand's been, honey!" While covering the TV mishap on The View, Rosie O'Donnell claimed Kelly's remarks were anti-gay and would not be used if Clay was a "straight man." Her defense of Clay instead exposed something about his sexuality he never publicly confirmed. Clay did not officially come out to the public until he became a father in 2008. 

Other celebs have been forced to address their sexuality after being questioned by fans on whether they're queerbaiting — using faux LGBTQ+ representation only as a means of gaining popularity.

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See which celebrities were accused of queerbaiting here.

Join BuzzFeed as we celebrate National Coming Out Day from Oct. 10–16. You can explore more coming out and queer content over on our LGBTQ page.

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