19 Gay Men Who Were Once Married to Women

10. Vincente Minnelli

The late stage and film director is famous for classic movie musicals such as Meet Me in St. Louis, Gigi, The Band Wagon, and An American in Paris. He was married four times. His first marriage was to actress Judy Garland from 1945 until 1951 and they were the parents of Liza Minnelli. He later married Georgette Magnani from 1954 until 1958, Danica “Denise” Radosavljevic (1962-1971), and Margaretta Lee Anderson from 1980 until his death in July 1986. There was speculation in the entertainment industry for years that Minnelli was either gay or bisexual. A biography by Emanuel Levy, Vincente Minnelli: Hollywood’s Dark Dreamer, claims evidence that Minnelli lived as an openly gay man in New York before moving to Hollywood. Levy stated: “He was openly gay in New York – we were able to document names of companions and stories from Dorothy Parker. But when he came to Hollywood, I think he made the decision to repress that part of himself or to become bisexual.”

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.

12. Jonathan Plummer

Jonathan Plummer is the man who inspired the 1998 novel, How Stella Got Her Groove Back, written by novelist Terry McMillan. However, in December 2004, Plummer revealed to McMillan that he was gay and in March 2005, she filed for divorce. The couple later appeared on Oprah to discuss their relationship following the revelation.