Coming out as part of the LGBTQ+ community is rarely a simple process, and doing so in the public eye as a celebrity adds an entirely different layer of complexity. For many of the stars below who made their announcements after turning 40, the hesitation stemmed from fears — losing career opportunities, alienating fans, or facing rejection from loved ones. For others, it was simply a matter of not finding the right person or truly connecting with the queer community until later in their journey.
Regardless of their reasons, these well-known figures have demonstrated that coming out has no expiration date, and each of them is now embracing their authentic identity openly and proudly. Read on to discover who they are.
Wayne Brady
Source: Instagram
Let’s Make a Deal host Wayne Brady revealed he identifies as pansexual at age 51. During a 2023 conversation with People Magazine, he explained, “To me, pan means being able to be attracted to anyone… and I think, at least for me, for right now, that is the proper place.”
Cynthia Nixon
Source: Instagram
Sex and the City actress Cynthia Nixon first shared that she had fallen in love with a woman back in 2008, when she was 42. She wed her wife Christine Marinoni four years after that, and began openly discussing her bisexuality. By 2020, she expressed a preference for identifying simply as queer.
Victor Garber
Source: Instagram
Veteran actor Victor Garber addressed his sexuality publicly for the first time at 64. In 2013, when asked about longstanding rumors regarding his male partner, he responded casually — noting it was hardly a secret and that he planned to bring his partner to the SAG Awards.
Queen Latifah
Source: Instagram
Speculation about Queen Latifah’s personal life had circulated for years, but confirmation came when she was 51. Rather than making a formal declaration, she chose her 2021 BET Lifetime Achievement Award acceptance speech as the moment to thank her partner, Eboni Nichols, and extend a warm “Happy Pride!” to everyone watching.
Wanda Sykes
Source: Instagram
Comedian Wanda Sykes tied the knot with her wife in 2008 and came out publicly just weeks afterward at an LGBTQ+ rally held in Las Vegas. She was 44 at the time and remarked candidly, “Everybody that knows me personally, they know I’m gay.”
Barry Manilow
Source: Instagram
Barry Manilow wed Garry Kief in 2014 and waited three more years before speaking about it publicly. He was 73 when he came out, admitting he had stayed quiet out of worry that it might disappoint his fanbase. The unexpectedly warm and supportive reaction he received clearly moved him.
Kevin Spacey
Source: Instagram
In 2017, Kevin Spacey faced numerous sexual assault allegations, among them a claim from actor Anthony Rapp. In his public response, Spacey stated, “This story has encouraged me to address other things about my life. As those closest to me know… I have had relationships with both men and women.”
Chrishell Stause
Source: Instagram
Selling Sunset star Chrishell Stause had been in a public relationship with her boss and costar Jason Oppenheim, but the two split in 2022. Shortly after, she began a relationship with nonbinary singer G Flip at the age of 40, and the couple married the following year.
Ian McKellen
Source: Instagram
Sir Ian McKellen launched his acting career in the early 1960s, but it was not until 1988 that he spoke openly about being gay. At 49, he made his public declaration as a direct form of protest against newly introduced British legislation that restricted the promotion of homosexuality.
Ricky Martin
Source: Instagram
Pop icon Ricky Martin came out in 2010 at 39, using his personal website ahead of his memoir’s release to share the news. He wrote warmly, “I am proud to say that I am a fortunate homosexual man. I am very blessed to be who I am.”
Caitlyn Jenner
Source: Instagram
Widely known first as an Olympic champion and later through reality television under the name Bruce, Caitlyn Jenner announced her identity as a transgender woman at 65 through a landmark Vanity Fair profile. That same year, she sat down with Diane Sawyer and stated with conviction, “I’m a woman.”
Sophia Bush
Source: Instagram
Following her second divorce in 2023, Sophia Bush reflected on her sexuality in a personal essay for Glamour magazine. At 41, she wrote that the word “queer” felt like the most honest description of who she is. She has since been in a relationship with former professional soccer player Ashlyn Harris.
Niecy Nash
Source: Instagram
In 2020, the same year she ended her second marriage, actress Niecy Nash married musician Jessica Betts at the age of 50. She reflected on the journey with grace, telling People Magazine, “At one point in my life, I married twice and I love those people. And today I love this person.”
Mo’Nique
Source: Instagram
Comedian Mo’Nique came out as bisexual at 55. Married to Sidney Hicks since 2006, she used her 2023 stand-up special My Name Is Mo’Nique to share her attraction to women and spoke candidly about the personal challenges of coming out within a deeply religious family.
Rebel Wilson
Source: Instagram
Rebel Wilson came out at 42 by sharing an Instagram photo with her then-girlfriend Ramona Agruma in 2022. The caption read, “I thought I was searching for a Disney Prince… but maybe what I really needed all this time was a Disney Princess.” The couple wed two years later.
Ellen DeGeneres
Source: Instagram
Ellen DeGeneres came out publicly at 39, first opening up in a 1997 Time Magazine interview and then dedicating a landmark episode of her sitcom Ellen to the announcement. She has been married to actress Portia de Rossi since 2008.
Braunwyn Windham-Burke
Source: Instagram
Real Housewives of Orange County cast member Braunwyn Windham-Burke shared her truth on Instagram in 2020, writing, “I am a lesbian… at 43 years old, I’ve finally been able to accept this part of myself, and I’ve realized there are no rules about when someone should come out. This is my time.”
Rosie O’Donnell
Source: Instagram
Comedian Rosie O’Donnell came out at 40 during a 2002 stand-up performance. However, she had actually attempted to share her story a decade earlier, having disclosed her identity to Cosmopolitan Magazine — a piece that was ultimately never published.
Anna Camp
Source: Instagram
Actress Anna Camp sat down for her first interview as an openly queer woman with PRIDE Magazine in May 2025. The following month, at 42, she made her public red carpet appearance alongside girlfriend Jade Whipkey at the premiere of Bride Hard (2025).
Stacy London
Source: Instagram
Fashion personality Stacy London took to Instagram in 2019 to come out, revealing she had spent the previous year in her first meaningful relationship with a woman. She was 50 at the time and was referring to her then-partner, actress Cat Yezbak.
Maria Bello
Source: Instagram
Actress Maria Bello, known for her role in Coyote Ugly (2000), came out through a deeply personal essay in The New York Times titled Coming Out as a Modern Family, published in November 2013 when she was 46 and in a relationship with Clare Munn.
Alison Brie
Source: Instagram
Actress Alison Brie revealed she is bisexual at 38, quite spontaneously, while filming a Celebrity Thirst Tweets segment with BuzzFeed alongside her husband Dave Franco in 2023. Responding to a fan’s tweet about their own identity, she chimed in, “That’s also why I’m bisexual!”
Cassandra Peterson
Source: Instagram
Best recognized as the iconic horror hostess Elvira, Cassandra Peterson came out as queer at 70 through her 2021 memoir Yours Cruelly, Elvira, in which she revealed she had been in a loving and committed relationship with a woman for nearly 19 years.
Susan Sarandon
Source: Instagram
Susan Sarandon openly identified as bisexual at 75 during a 2022 appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, simply and confidently stating, “And I’m bi.” She had previously hinted at this in a separate interview with Pride Source, describing her sexuality as “open.”
Jason Mraz
Source: Instagram
Singer-songwriter Jason Mraz came out as bisexual at 41 during a 2018 conversation with Billboard, sharing that he had been in relationships with both men and women over the years. He attributed coming out later in life to the conservative environment in which he was raised.
