7 Celebrities Who Came Out as Straight

2018 is the year of coming out, and it’s not necessarily just for the gays anymore!

While a straight person confirming their heterosexuality is definitely not the same as a closeted queer person building up the courage to finally announce who they are to the ones they love (in a world that doesn’t always accept them), sometimes there are circumstances where straight people find themselves having to talk about their sexuality and, for lack of a better phrase, “come out as straight.” And these celebs had to do just that!

Shawn Mendes

Although pop singer Shawn Mendes already addressed rumors of him being gay back in 2016, he had to, once again, reiterate that he is straight in a November 2018 interview with Rolling Stone.

“I thought, ‘You fucking guys are so lucky I’m not actually gay and terrified of coming out,” Mendes told Rolling Stone, speaking about he was accused of being “too feminine.” “That’s something that kills people. That’s how sensitive it is. Do you like the songs? Do you like me? Who cares if I’m gay?”

He continued: “Maybe I am a little more feminine—but that’s the way it is. That’s why I am me.”

Taron Egerton

After posting a photo of his male friend with the caption “Cutie. My boy <3” to Instagram in October of 2018, many fans thought that the Robin Hood and Kingsman star had come out as queer. However, this wasn’t the case, and in an interview the following month with the Radio Times, he cleared up rumours about his sexuality, telling people he isn’t gay.

“One of the lads was at my London flat and I Instagrammed a picture of him and said, ‘Look at this cutie,’ and a million outlets reported I was coming out as gay,” he said. “I’m not gay but two of my mates came out when I was 15 and it was a joy to support them because, as a group, we are all secure in who we are. I’m certainly not going to stop calling my mates cuties and gorgeous because they are cuties and they are gorgeous.”

Kendall Jenner

The internet rumors that the reality TV personality turned fashion model was queer had a run for a while, and then, Kendall Jenner set the record straight about her sexuality in a March 2018 interview with Vogue.

“I think it’s because I’m not like all my other sisters, who are like, ‘Here’s me and my boyfriend!’” she said when asked why fans on the internet think she’s gay. “So it was a thing for a minute because no one ever saw me with a guy. I would always go that extra mile to be low-key with guys, sneaking around all the time. You don’t want to, like, look crazy.”

She continued: “I don’t think I have a bisexual or gay bone in my body, but I don’t know! Who knows?! I’m all down for experience—not against it whatsoever—but I’ve never been there before. Also, I know I have kind of a… male energy? But I don’t want to say that wrong, because I’m not transgender or anything. But I have a tough energy. I move differently. But to answer your question: I’m not gay. I have literally nothing to hide.”

Jack Falahee

How to Get Away with Murder star Jack Falahee, who plays a gay character on the show, came out as a straight ally to LGBT people on Twitter following Donald Trump’s election in 2016.

“While I’m not gay, on HTGAWM, I play a character who’s in an interracial relationship with an HIV positive man,” he wrote on Twitter. “However, in the past I’ve declined to discuss my own sexuality in an attempt to try and dismantle the closet. Opponents to my ambiguous answers to questions surrounding my sexuality argued the importance of visibility. Ultimately, I think that my stance has been unhelpful in the fight for equality. I feel that I’ve sacrificed my ability to support the community for a more theoretical discussion about sexuality. Now more than ever, I want to offer my support to the community as an ally.”

Ansel Elgort

The Baby Driver actor set the record straight on Twitter back in 2014 after rumours of his sexuality started circulating.

“Just in case it isn’t clear…I like girls. A lot,” he tweeted. “Also let me say if I was gay, I wouldn’t hide it. Being gay or straight isn’t bad or good it just IS. U are who you are. Be true to yourself.”

Jake Gyllenhaal

During a 2013 appearance on Inside the Actors Studio, Jake Gyllenhaal addressed the rumors of him being gay that followed him after his iconic role in Ang Lee’s 2005 Oscar-winning, queer-themed film, Brokeback Mountain.

“It’s a huge compliment,” he told host James Lipton about people thinking he’s gay.

Darren Criss

The Golden Globes-nominated actor who played gay serial killer Andrew Cunanan in The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story spoke about his sexuality in a 2011 interview with OUT. (Questions about Criss’ sexuality surfaced soon after he got the breakout role of Blaine (Kurt’s love interest) in FOX’s popular musical series, Glee.)

“I think it’s more empowering to everybody, including myself, if I’m articulate about identifying myself as a straight male playing a gay character,” he said when asked about being comfortable playing gay characters. “Ultimately, that’s more powerful for both communities.”