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Elton John Talks Coming Out, Thought Everyone Knew He Was Gay

Elton On Coming Out: 'I Thought It Was Common Knowledge'
WENN

Sir Elton John didn't officially "come out" as a gay man until 1988 because he felt sure news of his homosexuality was "common knowledge".

The Rocket Man hitmaker initially announced he was attracted to both men and women during an interview with Rolling Stone in 1976 but it wasn't until the legend hit his 40s that he told the publication he was gay.

The long road to the truth prompted many to speculate why the music icon did not come clean about his sexual orientation sooner, and now the 65 year old reveals he never tried to keep it a secret - he just thought everyone already knew.

During an interview with U.S. Today show host Matt Lauer, he says, "Nobody asked me. When (journalist) Cliff Jahr asked me in Rolling Stone, 'I'm gonna ask you a question, but if you don't want to answer it, I'm gonna turn the tape recorder off' And I said, 'You're gonna ask me if I'm gay or not.' And he said, 'How did you know that?'. I said, 'I've been waiting for people to ask me this. It's not exactly a secret. I live with my manager. I'm openly gay outside. I don't have a girlfriend... I just thought it was common knowledge.'"

Dozens of gay celebrities have admitted to hiding their true sexuality so as not to alienate fans or put their career at risk, but Sir Elton insists that was not the case for him.

He adds, "I honestly didn't (think it would hurt my career). And, to be honest with you, it did a little bit. In America, people burned my records for a second and radio stations didn't play me."

Sir Elton also confused fans about his sexuality when he married Renate Blauel in 1984. The union lasted four years and the couple was divorced in 1988. The rocker is now married to longtime partner David Furnish.

PHOTOS: Celebrities who have come out...

Celebrities Who Have Come Out
Anderson Cooper, 2012(01 of05)
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Long rumored to be gay, CNN news anchor and talk show host Anderson Cooper came out in July of 2012 via an email to the 'Daily Beast''s Andrew Sullivan.Cooper wrote in part:"The fact is, I'm gay, always have been, always will be, and I couldn't be any more happy, comfortable with myself, and proud..." (credit:AP)
Jim Parsons, 2012(02 of05)
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New York Times scribe Patrick Healy confirmed "The Big Bang Theory" star's sexuality as part of a profile.The revelation came late in the article, when Healy describes the 39-year-old actor's role in the 2011 revival of Larry Kramer's HIV/AIDS crisis drama, "The Normal Heart." Wrote Healy: '"The Normal Heart" resonated with him on a few levels: Mr. Parsons is gay and in a 10-year relationship, and working with an ensemble again onstage was like nourishment, he said."Though the Times didn't identify Parsons' partner, he has been romantically liked with art director Todd Spiewak (pictured). (credit:AP )
Anne Burrell, 2012(03 of05)
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"Secrets of a Restaurant Chef" host Anne Burrell confirmed she's a lesbian and in a committed relationship with a woman, just days after just days after "Chopped" host Ted Allen made a reference to her sexuality in a radio interview. "Anne doesn't feel she was outed," Burrell's rep told Page Six. "She has made no secret of her relationship."The rep went on to note, "Her significant other is a very private woman. They have been together for a couple of years and spend a lot of time together." (credit:AP )
Matt Bomer, 2012(04 of05)
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The 34-year-old "White Collar" hunk thanked his partner Simon Halls and his three children during Saturday's Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards, where he received the New Generation Arts and Activism Award for his work in the fight against HIV/AIDS. "I'd really especially like to thank my beautiful family: Simon, Kit, Walker, Henry," he told the crowd. "Thank you for teaching me what unconditional love is. You will always be my proudest accomplishment." (credit:AP)
Gillian Anderson, 2012(05 of05)
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The "X-Files" actress revealed she's had numerous relationships with women in a 2012 interview with Out magazine.The 43-year-old mother of three, who's long enjoyed a sizable lesbian fanbase, told Out that she first had a relationship with a woman while still in high school, after moving from her native England to suburban Michigan."If I had thought I was 100 percent gay, would it have been a different experience for me?" Anderson, who was voted "Most Bizarre" and "Most Likely to Be Arrested" in high school, ponders. "Would it have been a bigger deal if shame had been attached to it and all those things that become huge life-altering issues for youngsters in that situation? It's possible that my attitude around it came, on some level, from knowing that I still liked boys." (credit:AP)
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