14 celebs you didn’t know have an LGBT sibling
Celebrities often speak out about their families and, notably, some have spoken about their LGBTQ+ siblings.
Some have kept quieter than others, but most have been publicly supportive of their LGBTQ+ brothers and sisters.
Check out a selection of the celebrities with LGBTQ+ family members you might not have known about, below.
1. Adam Levine has a gay brother, Michael
Adam Levine’s brother Michael is an out gay man gay, and the Maroon 5 singer has been a vocal supporter of LGBTQ+ rights for years.
A former judge on The Voice, Levine has criticised American Idol for allegations that it forced its stars to stay in the closet.
“What’s always pissed me off about American Idol is wanting to mask that, for that to go unspoken. C’mon. You can’t be publicly gay? At this point? On a singing competition? Give me a break.”
2. Madonna has a gay brother, Christopher
Madge’s brother Christopher Ciccone is out as gay.
He appeared in her video for “Lucky Star” back in the day but in recent years their relationship has been more strained.
In 2017, Ciccone said he could write a second tell-all book about the Queen of Pop and described her as “horrific”.
Of years spent as her backstage dresser, Ciccone says: “I could have written that book, the book about how horrifying she is or can be, but I didn’t write that book.
“I was just looking for a little recognition for the work I’ve done for 20 years with her, that it wasn’t one person.”
3. Chloë Grace Moretz has two gay brothers, Trevor and Colin
Kick-Ass star Chloë Grace Moretz has two gay brothers and two straight brothers.
Her gay brothers are Trevor and Colin, who she has vocally supported.
“I have two gay brothers and two straight brothers, and my gay brothers were treated horrifically until they grew up and understood how to deal with it.
“I will delete you and I will block you, and you will not be a part of my life if you ever say anything bad about my brothers.”
4. Colin Farrell has a gay brother, Eamonn
Colin Farrell has been supportive of his gay brother Eamonn.
The Daredevil star was best man at Eamon’s wedding and has spoken out against anti-LGBTQ+ bullying, saying he saw it affect his brother first-hand.
“Whether it be the attacking of gay students, which I witnessed first hand happening to my own brother or students who are in the minority as a result of race or religious beliefs or any other such characteristic that separates them from ‘the norm,’ it is all wrong and has no place in a just and compassionate country such as I know Ireland to be.”
5. Rose McGowan has an LGBTQ+ sibling
Charmed star Rose McGowan has become increasingly vocal on women’s rights and LGBTQ+ issues.
The actor has said she has a ‘lesbian posse’ and is a strong advocate for LGBTQ+ rights.
Of how her sister came out to her, McGowan said: “It was just a natural thing. It never occurred to me that she was gay or that she wasn’t.
“Although at one point, after dating women, she was scared to tell me that she was going out with a guy. It actually freaked me out, and I stopped speaking to her for three months. Now, thank God, she’s back to women, and life is good again.”
6. Newt Gingrich has a lesbian half-sister, Candace
Despite becoming known for outlandish anti-gay statements during political campaigns, American Republican politician Newt Gingrich has a lesbian half-sister, Candace.
Candace previously spoke out to say she was “proud” that her brother had made a U-turn on opposing same-sex marriage.
But she has also been critical of some of the things he has said about LGBTQ+ people.
“There is that decision to speak up or not. I don’t think I would be able to live with myself if I wasn’t very publicly pointing out the flaws in my brother’s campaign, particularly when it comes to LGBT issues,” she said previously.
7. Roseanne Barr has two LGBTQ+ siblings
The Roseanne star has a lesbian sister, Geraldine, and a gay brother, Ben.
She has been vocally supportive of her LGBTQ+ siblings for some time.
Speaking about the myth that gay or bi people are more promiscuous, Roseanne used her own experience to dispel the misinformation.
“And I happen to be in love right now. I’m not like my gay sister and my gay brother that have both been with the same partner for 25 and 26 years, respectively. I, as a straight person, have not been able to hold any relationship together as well as they,” she said.
8. Richard Gere has a gay brother, David
Gere was one of the first Hollywood actors to portray a gay character when he appeared in the original 1980 Broadway production of Bent.
He has an LGBTQ+ sibling in the form of his out gay brother David, who is an AIDS activist and UCLA professor.
Gere has been a strong advocate of LGBTQ+ rights for some time.
“My brother is gay and he got married in that brief period when gay marriage was allowed in California. He has two great kids and is a wonderful father,” says Gere.
9. Chris Evans has a gay brother, Scott
The Captain America star has been a vocal supporter of LGBTQ+ rights and has an out gay brother in Hollywood.
Scott Evans, the star of One Life to Live, has seen major support from his brother Chris for years.
“It goes without saying that I’m completely in support of gay marriage. In 10 years we’ll be ashamed that this was an issue,” said Chris of same-sex marriage.
Chris also said that his gay brother helped him “cultivate compassion”, saying he grew up with sisters and a gay brother.
“I think it’s really important to put faces to the situations that we’re navigating as a society,” he added.
10. Anne Hathaway has a gay brother, Michael
The Devil Wear Prada star Anne Hathaway and her family have been majorly supportive of her brother Michael since he came out.
When he came out as gay, the family abandoned Catholicism due to its oppression of LGBTQ+ people.
Instead, they opted for Episcopalianism.
Anne says of her brother: “You know, when it’s family and someone is excluding your family, and someone is not accepting of your family, it does become a bit of a no-brainer, doesn’t it?”
Not only that, she says she looked just like him when she famously cut her hair to star in Les Miserables in 2012.
11. Ariana Grande has a gay half-brother, Frankie
Reality star Frankie Grande is out as gay and has a close relationship with his half-sister Ariana.
“Side to Side” singer Ariana had a great response when he came out as gay to her when she was eleven.
Frankie says: “There’s a 10-year age gap and I came out to her when she was just 11 years old — and she said: ‘Great, when do I get to meet your boyfriend?'”
“She was raised in a family where gay was not only accepted, it was celebrated,” he continues.
“The fact that some people are in families who throw them out because they’re gay or they’re being told they’re wrong because of who they are, it’s a tragedy and both she and I feel it’s our responsibility to educate those people and help them see that we’re all the same.”
12. Catherine Zeta-Jones has a gay brother, David
David Jones is Catherine Zeta-Jones’ out gay brother who also works in Hollywood.
He has worked for years as an executive in a production company.
The pair has also worked together, producing films including in Wales, where they hail from.
But other than that, not a lot is known about their relationship as they lead fairly private lives.
13. Cyndi Lauper has a lesbian sister
Famed singer Cyndi Lauper, often considered a gay icon herself, has spoken for years about her out lesbian sister, Elen.
Back in 2010, she said: “When she [came out to me], I just gave her the biggest hug and told her that I love her.
“But I had known it for a long time. This is 25-30 years ago. Things are a lot better now then they were in the early 80s though. We still have a long way to go.”
She has since addressed her wider support for the LGBTQ+ community, adding: “Listen, I am friend and family, and, where I come from, you stand up for the people you love and care about in your life. You do not turn your back on them.”
14. Josh Hutcherson has a gay brother
The Hunger Games actor Josh Hutcherson, 31, has a younger brother Connor, who is gay.
The 27-year-old is currently in a relationship, and the couple recently had to explain Josh Hutcherson’s pervasive “Whistle” meme to the star.
Josh Hutcherson has long been an LGBTQ+ ally, campaigning with the Straight But Not Narrow organisation, which works to positively influence how straight people see and understand the LGBTQ+ community.
He is also the youngest recipient of the Vanguard Award from GLAAD, and has worked with prominent LGBTQ+ equality organisation, The Trevor Project.
