19 Gay Men Who Were Once Married to Women

11. Little Richard

Little Richard’s sexual orientation has long been a topic of debate. In 1956, he began a romantic relationship with Audrey Robinson, a 16-year-old college student, but according to Little Richard, he would invite other men to have sex with her in groups. The relationship ended after Little Richard’s religious conversion in 1957. Little Richard met his only wife, Ernestine Campbellin, October 1957 and they wed in July 1959. According to Campbell, she and Richard initially enjoyed a happy marriage with “normal” sexual relations. Campbell claimed when the marriage ended in divorce in 1963, it was because of her husband’s celebrity status. However, there are many stories that state that during his teenager years and into his twenties, Little Richard became involved in voyeurism. One female friend claims that she would drive him around and pick up men. He was also caught cross-dressing on many occasions, leading to rumors of his homosexuality. The singer later acknowledged himself as “omnisexual,” but in 1995, Little Richard told Penthouse that he always knew he was gay.