LGBTQ+ celebrity couples… they’re just like us, except, well, they don’t date us; they date each other. We can’t blame them–our net worth could never!
Still, you might be surprised by some famous faces who became an item and others who exchanged wedding rings. And in that sense, they really are ordinary humans. God knows you can’t force a love that terminated its course or stay in a marriage that no longer brings you peace.
But that doesn’t mean fading the good times into oblivion. So we’re appreciating once upon a time in gay Hollywood by looking back at 20 of the most fabulous queer celebrity couples you might not know dated or were once married in the past millennium.
Actor Colton Haynes and celebrity florist Jeff Leatham fell head over jockstrap for each other and married in 2017 after a few months of dating. The honeymoon phase didn’t last much longer than their actual honeymoon because they divorced six months later, though briefly reconciling only to make their divorce official in 2019.
Olympic freeskier Gus Kenworthy slid into actor Matt Wilkas DMs in 2015, and they rapidly became one of our favorite gay couples to keep up with, PDA and all. But they broke up in 2019 after four years together. We don’t want to cause drama (we rather save it for viewership), but it’s interesting Kenworthy kept Wilkas on his Instagram feed while the latter archived (or deleted) any content of them together.
If there was ever a ‘celesbian’ couple that gave IDGAF energy, it was Kristin Stewart and Stella Maxwell. The power femme duo started dating in 2016, but the A-list actress and Victoria’s Secret supermodel confirmed seeing other people in 2018. The only shots of them together were via paparazzi; Maxwell maybe posted Stewart’s limb – hence IDGAF!
We love to see a celebrity couple rise to the top together, and singer Troye Sivan started dating model Jacob Bixenman in 2016, then ascended as the most powerful twink in pop. They even did a joint interview with Vogue in 2019, giving all the relationship goals. But their flame went out by 2020, understandably a messy year for the globe.
After what feels like a lifetime of singing, crying, and shouting Sam Smith’s love songs, we couldn’t have been happier to see a celebrity fall in love than when he went public with 13 Reasons Why‘s Brandon Flynn in Dec 2017. But, after a whirlwind romance, according to an insider on Smith’s behalf, they parted ways after seven months before he released his second record, The Thrill Of It All.
Daytime legend Ellen DeGeneres and actress Anne Heche paved the way for groundbreaking queer visibility dating from 1997 and 2000, a time when you could count more celebrities in rehab than famous same-sex people dating. Heche described their romance as her Cinderella fairytale, but unfortunately, the actress would later pass away in a fatal car accident in 2022.
We didn’t have a marriage between The Conners’ Sara Gilbert and 4 Non-Blondes lead singer Linda Perry in our bingo cards, but the pair started dating in 2011 and tied the knot in 2014. Unfortunately, Gilbert filed for divorce in 2019, citing irreconcilable differences. We’re hoping Perry at least asked her: What’s going on?
American Horror Story’s Zachary Quinto started dating model Miles McMillan in 2013, and they didn’t waste time moving into a $3.2 million Manhattan loft and getting two dogs, the gay fairytale. The steamy pair had a solid 6-year run before they split in 2019.
If there was ever a Hollywood queer femme couple that didn’t get the attention they deserved, it was Lindsay Lohan and Samantha Ronson. They dated on and off from 2008-2009, but we’d be remiss not to remember Lohan was arguably the most famous face in America – and queer! Too bad her name was caught up in so many headlines snubbing this powerful moment.
Two drag queens dating is our favorite kind of celebrity couple. The queerness of it all! But, before they respectively became household names on RuPaul’s Drag Race, they started dating in 2009 and would give us everything we wanted for four years until agreeing to change the “boy” to “best” in their relationship in 2013.
Who would’ve expected notorious goodie two-shoes Anderson Cooper would date a nightclub owner? Apparently not him, which might explain why he met Benjamin Maisani in 2009, but the pair didn’t make their red carpet debut until 2015, eventually breaking up in 2018. But they remained best friends, which is good news for their son!
Million Dollar Listing‘s Josh Flagg started dating Bobby Boyd in 2016, proposing later that year. Unfortunately, the couple grew apart and finalized their divorce in March 2023. Flagg purchased a $9.2 million home in Beverly Hills and moved in with his new boyfriend, Andrew Beyer. You gotta appreciate the hustle and bustle of the gays.
Singer Grimes dating whistleblower Chelsea Manning was random as hell, but maybe not surprising considering she previously dated Elon Musk. Grimes and Manning went public in March 2023, but their enigmatic romance turned out to be a situationship, coming to an end that June.
13 Reasons Why‘s Tommy Dorfman met Peter Zurkuhlen in 2005, and they wed in 2016. The best love takes its time, honey. However, life also happens as it happens, and Dorfman was brave enough to come out as transgender in 2021, which understandably led to an amicable divorce in 2022.
Hollywood Zaddy Luke Evans met hunky model Jon Kortajarena in 2014, and they did the whole gay “it couple” thing damn well until breaking up in 2016, then briefly rekindling their romance in 2017. Evans, on his part, was private about his romance, but it didn’t stop the Internet from keeping tabs.
Before Project Runway‘s Christian Siriano became a fashion celebrity staple, he met Brad Walsh in 2007. He’d go on to win the reality TV competition that same year, maybe extra inspired. They married in 2016 but would be separated in 2018, making it legally official in 2021. Siriano did not wanna talk about it.
Miley Cyrus and Stella Maxwell made headlines in July 2015 when they were paparazzied kissing on the set of Cyrus’ music video in Los Angeles. Their romance lasted only a couple of months, which is short for a relationship but plenty for a hot summer fling.
We love a celebrity power player who uses love to break the stigma, so you know we stan(ed) designer Marc Jacob’s romance with porn star Harry Louis. The sexy duo began dating in 2011, making all the salacious headlines cuz people seem to only like porn in private. In an unexpected twist, Louis posted a shattered photo of them on Instagram in 2013 to announce their breakup in true TMZ fashion.
Nearly a year after Zachary Quinto came out, he began a gleeful (sorry) romance with Glee‘s Jonathan Groff in 2012, but the pair broke up a year later in 2013 because of busy schedules. However, we love this photo of them hanging as buds ten years later. That’s the real fairytale in heartbreak.
These moments of love lost remind us that even our favorite LGBTQ+ celebs, who have broken barriers and inspired countless individuals, can stumble and falter in the romance department.
As they navigate the complexities of relationships, they too face the same challenges as everyone else – from miscommunication and trust issues to evolving priorities and personal growth.
If you’re not afraid of commitment, consider subscribing to the Queerty newsletter. You’ll get a daily dose of LGBTQ+ news and entertainment with no strings attached.
We can't rely on mainstream media to tell our stories. That's why we don't lock Queerty articles behind a paywall. Will you support our mission with a contribution today?
Geez, this was painful for me, imagine if the people included here see themselves in a compilation of couples who´ve broken up. Anyone who´s gone through a breakup can empathize.
Queerty is using the slideshow feature alot lately, I guess either the staff have discovered it or they have been encouraged to use it. Many of the cumpilations have been interesting, but, for me, this particular story constituted an abuse of the slide show feature. Let bygones be bygones.
“Still, you might be surprised by some famous faces who became an item and others who exchanged wedding rings.” Is the person writing this 19 years old? Most of the readers on here who follow pop culture at all are aware of these couplings. Ellen DeGeneres and Ann Heche alone made huge headlines, and Heche said homophobic responses to it helped tank her acting career! Also, you guys do realize that non-White celebs can be gay and have been in relationships too, don’t you?
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Cookie
Duration
Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional
11 months
The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional
11 months
The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Fahd
Geez, this was painful for me, imagine if the people included here see themselves in a compilation of couples who´ve broken up. Anyone who´s gone through a breakup can empathize.
Queerty is using the slideshow feature alot lately, I guess either the staff have discovered it or they have been encouraged to use it. Many of the cumpilations have been interesting, but, for me, this particular story constituted an abuse of the slide show feature. Let bygones be bygones.
Kangol2
Maybe they’re trying to become the gay Buzzfeed. Either way, they really should skip going down that route. It’s tiresome and passé.
Cam
A lot of the couples we “Didn’t know about” were actually famous and on TV. Ellen and Ann Heache??
Kangol2
“Still, you might be surprised by some famous faces who became an item and others who exchanged wedding rings.” Is the person writing this 19 years old? Most of the readers on here who follow pop culture at all are aware of these couplings. Ellen DeGeneres and Ann Heche alone made huge headlines, and Heche said homophobic responses to it helped tank her acting career! Also, you guys do realize that non-White celebs can be gay and have been in relationships too, don’t you?