Women In Hollywood: Stars Who Came Out Later In Life
For years, America applied the “don’t ask, don’t tell” rule when it came to a celebrity’s sexuality—particularly a female’s. Times, they are a-changin’, though. Today, it’s anything but shocking for women stars not only to come out, but to share their experiences and struggles in finding their most comfortable identity. And it all started with Ellen… Ellen DeGeneres is often credited with paving the way for lesbians in Hollywood. After announcing she was gay to Oprah Winfrey during a 1997 episode of her sitcom, lesbians had a face in the media, one that the world already was familiar with and loved. Unfortunately though, Ellen’s show was dropped from TV shortly after and she was nowhere to be found in the media for the few years following. As time went on though, DeGeneres made her way back onto TV and now enjoys not only the most success of her life, but one of the most stable marriages in Hollywood, to fellow actress Portia de Rossi. In earlier generations, women did not have a role model like Ellen, nor did society encourage them to explore their sexuality and break free from gender stereotypes. And as with all love, sometimes it takes a lot of hits and misses before finding “the one” – and that person isn’t always who you expected they would be.
