15 celebrities who have come out in 2022 so far

From sports icons to Hollywood stars, check out this list of 15 celebrities who have come out in 2022.

Entertainment . Written by Alice Linehan.

Split screen of 3 celebrities who have come out in 2022.
Image: Left to Right: Twitter: @DavidBarta, Instagram: @RebelWilson, Twitter: @sbukamvelase

In recent months, a huge number of courageous famous faces across all sectors have opened up to the world and shared their true sexualities and gender identities. As we approach the end of the year, take a look at some of the celebrities who have come out so far in 2022!

M.A. Voepel
First on the list of celebrities to come out in 2022 is award-winning sports journalist and ESPN reporter M.A. Voepel, who came out as Trans this August in an emotional tweet. “In sports media, we’re lucky to tell stories of others’ journeys. We have our own, too. Part of mine is being transgender, and I’m transitioning to male,” he wrote.

After declaring his preferred pronouns and names, Voepel wrote, “I have the great honour of receiving Gowdy Award next month from Naismith Hall of Fame, and wanted to do that as authentic self, hence this announcement now. Fear can keep us paralyzed for decades, especially when we think we will lose all that is dear to us, including [our] career”.

Adam B
Northern Irish YouTuber and former Blue Peter presenter Adam B came out as gay in an emotional video posted online to his over 3 million subscribers. Throughout the nine-minute video, which now has over 960,000 views, he shows the process of telling his family and friends about his sexuality.

Speaking on how he felt after the fact, he explained: “I think the important message is just to open up and talk about whatever’s on your mind. This is about anything that you feel like you’re worried about or anything that you want to speak about, just open up. Because opening up to these guys was the best thing ever. Honestly, I was instantly a hundred times, a million times better when I told them.”

Daria Kasatkina
In July, top Russian athlete Daria Kasatkina came out as a lesbian in an interview with vlogger Vitya Kravchenko. The 25 year-old ranks as the world’s eleventh-best female tennis player, and speaking to Kravchenko, she also announced that she is currently dating Olympic figure skater Natalia Zabiiako.

Speaking on her decision to come out, she said: “Living in the closet is impossible. Not for the long run, no. It is too hard. It is pointless. You will be completely focused on that until you choose to come out.”

She then added, “Of course, it is up to you to decide how to do it and how much you tell. Living in peace with yourself is the only thing that matters, and f**k everyone else.”

Kelly Holmes
Another high-profile athlete to come out in 2022 was Olympian Kelly Holmes. The former Team GB middle-distance runner opened up about her experience, saying: “There have been lots of dark times where I wished I could scream that I am gay – but I couldn’t.”

Holmes is an Olympic, Commonwealth and European Champion and chose to come out publicly at the age of 52, explaining that she has been living a “secret life” for decades.

Rebel Wilson
One of the most famous celebrities to come out in 2022 was comedian Rebel Wilson, who broke the internet when she revealed that she was queer earlier this year. The iconic actress shared a post to Instagram with her girlfriend Ramona Agruma, accompanied by the caption “I thought I was searching for a Disney Prince… but maybe what I really needed all this time was a Disney Princess”.

Fans and other celebrities were overjoyed for the couple and the comment section was flooded with positivity. “BEAUTIES!!! So happy for you both! POWER COUPLE” wrote actor and singer Joshua Colley.

John Cameron Mitchell
Joe vs Carole actor John Cameron Mitchell casually mentioned that they were non-binary in an interview with Pride magazine in March. While speaking about their production Hedwig and the Angry Inch, they explained that they had faced some criticism for playing a Trans character. 

“Lately I’ve been getting a little bit of flack from some people saying ‘only trans people can play that role’ because it’s a trans role. I’m not trans, I’m non-binary, but that’s a slippery slope because the character is forced into an operation and is not really trans,” they said. Pride magazine reached out to them after-the-fact to ask for their preferred pronouns, but they didn’t get a response.

Willow Pill
RuPaul’s Drag Race season 14 star Willow Pill told the world that she was Trans in March, an announcement that was met with overwhelming support from the fanbase and wider community. They said that they will now go by ‘Willow’ in and out of drag, and will use they/she pronouns.

“I want to share this because I have felt so lonely keeping this to myself. I’ve rarely been able to talk to other people with similar stories, though I know there are many out there. I’m so tired of holding my pain in, and if I’m sharing dark bath bomb jokes and my ass cheeks to the TV world, then I also want to share this,” she said.

Bosco
Another Drag Race season 14 contestant, Bosco, also came out as Trans this year. “I’m trans, my pronouns out of drag are she/they I’m the happiest I’ve ever been,” she wrote on Twitter before playfully signing off with love from “Bosco and her AAA sized titties”.

The self-proclaimed ‘Demon Queen of season 14’ revealed that they had started to medically transition by using HRT, and that she is “now in a place where [she’s] surrounded by love and support.”

Emeli Sandé
Scottish singer and songwriter Emeli Sandé shared in an interview in April that she is in a relationship with female classical pianist Yoana Karemova. Sandé said that the relationship was going very well and that she was “happier than ever.”

When a fan asked Sandé if she identifies as bisexual she replied, “I’m not sure what I identify as but I guess so. I just feel like I should fall in love with whoever I fall in love with”.

Jerrod Carmichael
Jerrod Carmichael, an American stand-up comedian and actor, shared that he is gay during his HBO Max comedy show Rothaniel.

“I’m accepting the love, I really appreciate the love. My ego wants to rebel against it. I rebelled against it my whole life. I thought I’d never, ever come out. At many points I thought I’d rather die than confront the truth of that, to actually say it to people. Because I know it changes some people’s perceptions of me. I can’t control that,” he said.

https://twitter.com/sbukamvelase/status/1515486539639312388

Rae Williams
During a reunion special of the Netflix reality dating series The Ultimatum, Rae Williams came out as bisexual. She revealed that she had ended her previous relationship with Zay Wilson and had a private relationship with a girl after the show.

“Knowing that people are suicidal or depressed over their identity or sexuality and not being accepted or accepting themselves made me want to come out,” she said on her Instagram story.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Ch-PrONuxwK/?hl=en

David Barta
In April, David Barta came out as a pansexual during an episode of the British reality television series, MTV’s Ex on the Beach. At the time, Barta explained that one of his main goals while on the show was gaining a better understanding of himself as a person, adding that understanding his sexuality was something he was dealing with behind closed doors.

https://twitter.com/DavidBarta/status/1529227073700499456

Janelle Monáe
Taking the next spot on this list of celebrities to come out so far in 2022 is singer Janelle Monáe who came out as non-binary during a Red Table Talk episode with Jaida Pinket Smith, Willow Smith and Adrienne Banfield Norris.

“I’m non-binary, so I just don’t see myself as a woman, solely. I feel all of my energy,” they said.

Zander Murray
Just last month, Zander Murray made history by coming the first Scottish senior footballer to come out as gay. The Gala Fairydean Rovers striker made the announcement over social media, and later stated: “The lads at the club have been so supportive. I have a really strong bond with everyone at the club and I have been blown away by the support.

“Before coming out you think people will turn against you and you think the worst. It’s been lovely how much support I have had.”

Nick McCarthy
The final addition to the list of celebrities who have come out in 2022 so far is Leinster Rugby’s Nick McCarthy who publicly opened up about his sexuality during Pride month in June. The scrum-half explained that he came out to his teammates in January, a decision which made him feel much happier.

“I struggled with coming out for a while and it was starting to impact me and my happiness so it was the right decision,” he said.

“I feel if I can now help others come out in professional sport or in their everyday lives and make being gay more normal and not a thing to be worried about, then that is a positive.”

This is just a selection of some of the celebrities who have come out in 2022. Stay up to date with GCN to be the first to hear about other big names

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