The Richest LGBTQ Celebrities
June is Pride Month and October marks LGBT History Month. Pride Month was established to honor the June 1969 Stonewall riots in New York City, considered the start of the gay liberation movement in the U.S. Equally important, LGBT History Month was established in 1994 by a high school teacher and activist Rodney Wilson to celebrate and inform the world about LGBT history.
Both months are is also a time to celebrate those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning — including many of your favorite celebrities — so take a look at these LGBTQ millionaires.
Last updated: October 7, 2020
Maria Bello
Net worth: $12 million
An actress with dozens of credits to her name, Maria Bello is likely best known for her starring roles on “NCIS” and “ER.” In 2013, she wrote the essay “Coming Out as a Modern Family” in the Modern Love section of The New York Times, revealing her relationship with a woman.
She released her book of essays “Whatever… Love Is Love: Questioning the Labels We Give Ourselves,” in 2015. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, she revealed her belief that sexuality is fluid.
Halsey
Net worth: $12 million
Popstar Halsey is known for chart-topping hits like “Without Me” and “Closer.” However, since her rise to fame in 2015, she’s also earned the admiration of fans for her openness about being a bisexual woman.
She received the GLAAD Media Award for outstanding music artist in 2018. In her acceptance video, she thanked fans “for giving me the strength and the courage every day to be myself.”
George Takei
Net worth: $12 million
Best known as Mr. Sulu in the “Star Trek” series, George Takei is also an LGBTQ activist. He came out as a gay man in a 2005 interview with Frontiers magazine, after then-California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed a bill allowing same-sex marriage.
“The world has changed from when I was a young teen, feeling ashamed for being gay,” Takei told the Associated Press in 2005. “The issue of gay marriage is now a political issue. That would have been unthinkable when I was young.”
Frank Ocean
Net worth: $13 million
Known for hits like “Slide,” “Thinkin Bout You” and “No Church in The Wild,” Frank Ocean is a famed rapper — he’s also not straight. In a 2012 Tumblr post, he revealed his sexuality to the world.
When prompted by GQ to put a label on his sexuality, Ocean declined. However, he revealed that he cried the night he posted the Tumblr letter. “There’s just some magic in truth and honesty and openness,” he said.
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Ellen Page
Net worth: $14 million
In 2014, Ellen Page came out as a lesbian during a speech at a conference for gay teens. Since then, the actress known for hits like “Juno,” “Inception” and “X-Men” has become a gay rights advocate.
“In my early 20s, I really believed it was impossible for me to come out,” Page said in an interview with Porter. “But, over time, hearts and minds have changed. It hasn’t happened enough, particularly for the most marginalized in the community. But things have gotten better.”
Zachary Quinto
Net worth: $14 million
You probably recognize Zachary Quinto as “Spock” from the “Star Trek” series. Also an LGBTQ advocate, he came out as gay in 2012.
“One of the most defining conversations that I had with myself was that absolutely no good can come from me staying quiet about [my sexual orientation],” he revealed in an interview with Out magazine.
Lily Tomlin
Net worth: $15 million
Iconic actress Lily Tomlin has decades of hits to her name, ranging from “Grace and Frankie” to “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In.” She met her wife, Jane Wagner, in the 1970s, but the couple didn’t marry until 2014.
In 1975, Time magazine offered Tomlin the cover, if she agreed to come out. “I frankly was not interested in being typed as the gay celebrity,” Tomlin told The Advocate. “I think what Ellen did was incredibly brave, and she paid a price for it — and she did it about 20 years after I got that offer.”
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Jane Lynch
Net worth: $16 million
A celebrated actress with more than 200 credits to her name, Jane Lynch is likely best known for her work as Sue Sylvester on “Glee.” In 2010, she married her longtime partner, Lara Embry, but the couple divorced three years later.
“I always wondered if I would have to be closeted,” Lynch told NBC Out. “I would lay in bed as a young person thinking, ‘What if I become famous? Do I hide this thing?’”
Jillian Michaels 18
Net worth: $18 million
Jillian Michaels is one of the most famous faces in fitness. “The Biggest Loser” alum is also a lesbian, who came out around 2012.
“I realize the gay community wants me to say and do certain things, but I am who I am,” Michaels told Cosmopolitan. “I’m not here to make a political statement, I’m just here to live my life and be myself.”
Sean Hayes
Net worth: $18 million
Sean Hayes is best known as Jack McFarland on “Will & Grace.” Like his iconic character, Hayes is also gay but waited until 2010 to come out — more than a decade after the debut of the show’s first iteration.
“I was too scared,” Hayes told Out magazine. “I wasn’t looking to be an activist of any kind. I didn’t have the courage and the strength at such a young age to speak on behalf of the gay community.”
Jesse Tyler Ferguson
Net worth: $20 million
“Modern Family” star Jesse Tyler Ferguson met his husband, Justin Mikita, at a gym during the show’s early days, according to Variety. The couple started dating in 2010 and married in 2013.
The actor told People his coming out story, which involved getting caught shoplifting adult material at a bookstore in his hometown of Albuquerque, New Mexico, “My mom and dad saw the nature of the material I was stealing, and that’s how I came out. I find it funny now, but at the time it was incredibly traumatizing,” he said.
Cynthia Nixon
Net worth: $25 million
Actress Cynthia Nixon is best known as Miranda Hobbes on “Sex and the City,” but she’s also an activist who ran for governor of New York in 2018. Nixon identifies as bisexual and has been married to education activist Christine Marinoni since 2012.
“I believe bisexuality is not a choice, it is a fact,” Nixon said in a statement to The Advocate. “What I have ‘chosen’ is to be in a gay relationship.”
Cara Delevingne
Net worth: $28 million
As a model, Cara Delevingne regularly serves as the face of brands like Dior and Balmain. Also an actress, the bisexual beauty has starred in a variety of films, including “Suicide Squad” and “Paper Towns.”
Delevingne found herself at the center of a controversy in 2015 when a Vogue article suggested her bisexuality might be a phase. She told The New York Times she found “nothing malicious” in the article, but said, “My sexuality is not a phase. I am who I am.”
Adam Lambert
Net worth: $30 million
Adam Lambert rose to fame as the runner-up on the eighth season of “American Idol.” In addition to his powerful pipes, the “Ghost Town” singer made headlines during his 2009 stint on the show, when pictures of him kissing an ex-boyfriend were made public.
“‘Come out’ is so funny to me because I’ve never been in,” the former “Idol” contestant told ABC News. “I’ve always been out. I just chose to avoid it. I didn’t … I don’t feel closeted. Everybody that I worked with knew about my personal life.”
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Sia
Net worth: $30 million
Singer and songwriter Sia has several hits to her name, including “Chandelier,” “Cheap Thrills” and “Wild Ones.” She came out as bisexual on Twitter in 2013.
“I’m queer,” she tweeted. “I don’t really identify as a lesbian, because I’ve dated predominately men. But I’ve certainly dated women.”
Robin Roberts
Net worth: $45 million
“Good Morning America” co-host Robin Roberts came out as a lesbian in a 2013 Facebook post. During a 2017 “Good Morning America” segment on underground gay conversion camps, Roberts thanked her late parents for supporting her when she came out.
“I’m so grateful, especially after seeing this, how supportive they were of me as a gay woman, and my family and friends,” she said.
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Sam Smith
Net worth: $40 million
British singer Sam Smith is known for powerful ballads like “Too Good at Goodbyes” and “Stay With Me.” He’s also made headlines for his sexuality, coming at as nonbinary on Twitter in 2019.
“I’ve decided I am changing my pronouns to THEY/THEM after a lifetime of being at war with my gender I’ve decided to embrace myself for who I am, inside and out…,” he tweeted.
Portia de Rossi
Net worth: $50 million
Actress Portia de Rossi is best known as Lindsay Bluth Funke on “Arrested Development.” She’s been married to Ellen DeGeneres since 2008, but she hasn’t always been comfortable being a lesbian.
“’I’d never met one for a start and I just thought they were strange and that they hated men and they were very serious and I had these ridiculous images in my head…,’” she said in an interview on The Conversation With Amanda de Cadenet.
Neil Patrick Harris
Net worth: $50 million
Actor Neil Patrick Harris has enjoyed a wildly successful career, most notably including starring roles on “How I Met Your Mother” and “Doogie Howser, M.D.” He came out as gay in 2006.
“I am happy to dispel any rumors or misconceptions and am quite proud to say that I am a very content gay man living my life to the fullest and feel most fortunate to be working with wonderful people in the business I love,” he said in an exclusive statement to People.
Raven Symone
Net worth: $55 million
“That’s So Raven Star” Raven Symone rose to fame as a child actress on “Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper.” A former co-host of “The View,” she referred to herself as a lesbian in a 2016 episode, but later told Variety she doesn’t subscribe to labels.
“I feel that I’ve definitely been accepted regarding my placement in the LGBTQ community by those in the community and not in the community,” she said in an interview with Variety.
Ian McKellen
Net worth: $60 million
Iconic actor Ian McKellen has more than 100 credits to his name, including playing Gandolf in “The Lord of the Rings” saga. He publicly came out as gay during a 1988 BBC Radio 3 interview.
“I never met a gay person who regretted coming out – including myself,” he tweeted. “Life at last begins to make sense, when you are open and honest.”
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Kristen Stewart
Net worth: $70 million
Kristen Stewart rose to fame as Bella Swan in the “Twilight” saga. She dated co-star Robert Pattinson for years, but after their 2013 breakup, she began dating girls. However, she told The Guardian she doesn’t want her sexuality to be labeled.
“You’re not confused if you’re bisexual. It’s not confusing at all. For me, it’s quite the opposite,” she said in an interview with The Guardian.
Jodie Foster
Net worth: $100 million
Actress and director Jodie Foster has dozens of credits to her name, including “The Silence of the Lambs” and “Contact.” The notoriously private star publicly came out in a speech at the 2013 Golden Globe Awards.
“I already did my coming out about a thousand years ago back in the Stone Age, in those very quaint days when a fragile young girl would open up to trusted friends and family and co-workers and then gradually, proudly to everyone who knew her, to everyone she actually met,” she said.
Barry Manilow
Net worth: $100 million
Legendary singer Barry Manilow had a slew of hits in the ’70s and ’80s, including “Mandy,” “I Write the Songs” and “Looks Like We Made It.” In 2017, he opened up about his sexuality for the first time to People.
“I thought I would be disappointing them if they knew I was gay. So I never did anything,” he told People.
Ricky Martin
Net worth: $120 million
Former Menudo member Ricky Martin made his name as a solo artist in the late ’90s with hits like “Livin’ La Vida Loca” and “She’s All I Ever Had.” In 2010, he came out on his website, referring to himself as a “fortunate homosexual.”
“These years in silence and reflection made me stronger and reminded me that acceptance has to come from within and that this kind of truth gives me the power to conquer emotions I didn’t even know existed,” he wrote.
Rosie O'Donnell
Net worth: $120 million
She rose to fame with her self-titled talk show “The Rosie O’Donnell Show,” and continues to grace the small screen as an actress on shows like “SMILF” and “I Know This Much is True.” Rosie O’Donnell officially came out in 2002, during a comedy show at Caroline’s on Broadway in New York City.
“I don’t know why people make such a big deal about the gay thing… People are confused,” The New York Post quoted her as saying during the set.
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Miley Cyrus
Net worth: $160 million
As a child actress, Miley Cyrus rose to fame on “Hannah Montana.” Now a bonafide popstar, she’s known for hits like “Wrecking Ball” and “Party in the U.S.A.”
In a 2015 interview with Paper magazine, Cyrus revealed that she considers herself gender fluid. “I don’t relate to being boy or girl, and I don’t have to have my partner relate to boy or girl,” she said.
Jim Parsons
Net worth: $160 million
Jim Parsons is best known for his work as Sheldon Cooper on “The Big Bang Theory,” a character he played for 12 seasons. He publicly came out in 2012, in an offhand comment made to The New York Times.
“Once it was out in the public, I was like, ‘Well, f— you! If you still have a problem with gay people, you directly have a problem with me,” he told Variety.
Ellen DeGeneres
Net worth: $490 million
Multitalented comedian Ellen DeGeneres has had her own talk show since 2003. She came out on the cover of Time magazine in 1997, but after her character on her self-titled sitcom did the same, she received major backlash.
“The bullying I endured [in Hollywood] after I came out made up for the lack of it during my childhood,” she told Good Housekeeping.
Elton John
Net worth: $500 million
Elton John is one of the most iconic performers in the world, known for hits like “Tiny Dancer,” “Crocodile Rock” and “Rocket Man.” He married his husband, David Furnish, in 2014, after having been together for 26 years.
“It’s wonderful to be gay. I love being gay. I really do,” John told Variety in 2019.
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All net worths are sourced from Celebrity Net Worth and are accurate as of October 6, 2020.
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: The Richest LGBTQ Celebrities
