"Oh, really?" - 5 unexpected celebrity outings!

Anyone who takes a look at celebrity outings in the VIP world quickly realizes that there is no standardized pattern here. Some use Instagram to tell the world about themselves - others a talk show or a public event. And still others choose not to come out because they think the rest of the world already knows they're queer anyway.

However, there are also the outings that surprise. Some people were and are considered by society to be so hetero that many are not badly surprised when exactly these people receive a "Yes, I am gay!" comes across the lips.

The past is full of special outings of prominent people. Of course, the fact that these are so impressive does not mean that every (!) celebrity outing is not perfect. However, there are definitely confessions that have led to a real "Wow!" effect.

Thomas Hitzlsperger

"A gay soccer player? There's no such thing!" - So or so similar many people might actually react to the celebrity outing of Thomas Hitzlsperger have reacted. To this day (!), Hitzlsperger is the only openly gay ex-professional in soccer history. Four months after he ended his career, he decided to tell the world about his queerness. The fact that he only dared to be so open after his active time shows how great the pressure is in the sports sector - especially in soccer - even today. Looking back, Hitzlsperger stressed that coming out had enriched his life. He was never ashamed of being gay.

Klaus Wowereit, celebrity outings in politics

When people think of gay politicians, they think of him comparatively quickly: Klaus Wowereit. In 2001, he outed himself as gay in a speech at the special party conference. And that even shortly before he was to be elected mayor. Many people still remember his "I'm gay and that's a good thing!

This was definitely more than "just" a confession. Rather, it was clear: This man is not only gay, but also absolutely at peace with it. What many do not know: Wowereit seems not to have decided alone to out himself. Allegedly on the part of the press it was planned to make from this a gimmicky reporting. Wowereit, however, got ahead of the whole thing.

Many people found his actions positive and encouraging. The rest is (political) history.

Jochen Schropp

Presenter Jochen Schropp used an open letter to "Stern" to tell the world about his celebrity outing. Originally, he would probably have outed himself almost earlier. At the last moment, however, he always decided against it. Only his family and his closer circle of acquaintances knew about it until then. At some point, however, he decided to stop hiding.

It's also possible that the experiences Schropp had at school made him skeptical about the subject. He used to be bullied. Then, when he traveled to the U.S. as part of a student exchange program, his self-discovery phase finally began, the result of which obviously makes him very happy today.

Ellen deGeneres

Ellen deGeneres is one of the celebrities who came out comparatively late. At that time she was "already" 40 years old. In 1997, the time had come. Ellen outed her character in the series of the same name and herself as lesbian.

Shockingly, the actress received little encouragement at the time. Her career suffered greatly from her celebrity outing. It wasn't until her own TV talk show really took off that society seemed to accept Ellen's sexual orientation. Lately, deGeneres has been in the spotlight because of other headlines. For example, some employees reported that the presenter had behaved rudely toward them.

Love technically, however, everything is going well for Ellen. She has been dating Portia de Rossi for years and proves that Hollywood partnerships can also last.

Ricky Martin, even musicians have celebrity outings!

"Ricky Martin? Gay?" Admittedly: One or the other might have guessed it. But: For many it was absolutely unimaginable that "THIS woman swarm" could be homosexual. For some, he was even considered homophobic. In 2010, however, he took heart and published a statement on his homepage.

Many of those around him advised him not to take this step, predicting that it would destroy his career. The "Livin' La Vida Loca" singer was not deterred. Today, he lives with painter Jwan Yosef. The two have been married since 2018 and have four children together.