In a candid revelation that has sparked conversations about personal trauma and intimacy, former Project Runway mentor Tim Gunn disclosed on a recent podcast that he has remained celibate for 43 years following a devastating breakup in 1982. Speaking to comedian Chelsea Handler on the February 19 episode of her podcast Dear Chelsea, the 72-year-old fashion icon detailed the emotional fallout from a nine-year relationship that ended abruptly amid the early days of the AIDS crisis. Gunn described the night the relationship crumbled as they watched an episode of M*A*S*H in bed, when his partner, a co-worker, demanded he leave despite Gunn having lived with him for years.
"I had a very serious nine-year relationship in Washington, D.C., and I loved this person deeply and would have done anything for him," Gunn told Handler. He recounted how his ex confessed to infidelity, saying, "One of the things that he told me that night was that he'd been sleeping with just about everything that walked by." Gunn emphasized his own fidelity, noting, "I had been loyal and faithful to him. He was the only person I'd ever been with. This is the advent of AIDS. It's 1982." The betrayal fueled intense fear for Gunn, who feared he had received "a death sentence." He underwent HIV testing every six months for a decade, ultimately receiving a clean bill of health.
The experience profoundly altered Gunn's approach to relationships. "The self-pity then turned to completely unbridled anger," he reflected, explaining how memories of the trauma resurfaced whenever he considered new romantic entanglements. "Whenever I was even tempted to engage in something that could become serious with someone, all this would come back like Niagara Falls, and it would just take the desire away." In a 2010 interview with People magazine, Gunn elaborated on his asexual tendencies, stating, "Much of my boyfriend's 'I'm over this' was about sex. I've always been kind of asexual. That breakup was a cold shower to last a lifetime." He now embraces his solitary life, adding, "Being celibate and being someone who lives alone was a bit of an adjustment, but now, I wouldn't have it any other way."
"When people hear I haven't had a boyfriend since 1982, they often whisper, 'Does he not have sex?' That's right!"
Gunn's openness aligns with a broader trend among celebrities who have recently shared intimate details about their sex lives, often highlighting challenges from health issues, aging, or past experiences. Country singer Jelly Roll, whose real name is Jason Bradley DeFord, confessed in December 2025 on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast that his sex life with wife Bunnie Xo was "horrible" before his 200-pound weight loss. "Dude, I married a f--kin’ big-t-tty, blonde, beautiful woman, dawg," he said, praising his partner while admitting his size made intimacy awkward. "I was having to play Twister to have sex—left foot here, right foot in the X. ‘Are we in there yet? Tell me if you feel something.’ It was bad." DeFord credited the weight loss with revitalizing their connection, underscoring how physical changes can impact relationships.
Similarly, model Brooks Nader's sister, Grace Ann Nader, revealed in May 2025 on the Chicks in the Office podcast that Brooks and her Dancing With the Stars partner Gleb Savchenko were intimately involved during rehearsals. "I can tell you firsthand, every time I visited Brooks’s trailer, the trailer was shaking every single time. I never wanted to go in there. I was always knocking," Grace Ann said. Brooks, who had recently separated from husband Billy Haire, joked about the encounters, saying, "The trailer thing was probably why we didn’t win." The disclosure came amid Brooks' participation in the show's 2025 season, adding a layer of behind-the-scenes drama to their partnership.
Aging and its effects on intimacy emerged as a recurring theme in other confessions. Actress Brooke Shields wrote in her 2025 memoir Brooke Shields Is Not Allowed to Get Old about the physical and emotional hurdles she faces with husband Chris Henchy. "I’m going through all the bodily s--t that comes with aging as a woman even in the best of times," she detailed, listing issues like thinning hair, vaginal dryness, and a diminishing sex drive. "For me to fully enjoy sex at this point, I need my lotions and potions, the right sleepwear... and maybe a tequila so I can relax." Shields described intimacy as sometimes painful now, emphasizing the need for preparation to maintain connection in long-term marriages.
Pop star Katy Perry offered a lighter take on relationship dynamics during a September 2024 appearance on Alex Cooper's Call Her Daddy podcast, revealing how domestic gestures from ex Orlando Bloom led to bedroom rewards. "If I come downstairs and the kitchen is clean, and you've done it all, and you've done all the dishes, and you've closed all the pantry doors, you better be ready to get your d--k sucked," she said. The comment highlighted how everyday acts of kindness can foster passion, drawing from her experiences during their on-again, off-again romance that ended in 2017.
Comedian Chelsea Handler, host of the podcast where Gunn spoke, has her own history of NSFW disclosures. In October 2023 on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, she clarified rumors about her 2010 breakup with Ted Harbert, denying that a threesome with their masseuse was the cause. "I really want to clarify... that is not why our relationship ended," she stated. "We did have a lot of threesomes, and that, while that's private it's already out there, so I'm gonna double down on that and just say that we didn't break up because I left him for the masseuse. That didn't happen." Handler's candor reflects her unapologetic style in discussing personal matters publicly.
Supermodel Heidi Klum shared in September 2024 on The Skinny Confidential Him & Her Show podcast about her expansive "sex closet," a dedicated space filled with outfits, wigs, shoes, and boots for intimate occasions. "It's a big closet... You can have a lot of things," she described. In January 2024 on Call Her Daddy, Klum recounted how her daughter Leni accidentally discovered it while with a friend, leading to giggles and embarrassment. "She found my sex closet. She fully knew what it was," Klum said, illustrating the challenges of maintaining privacy in a celebrity household.
Actor John Krasinski demystified on-screen intimacy in August 2024 on the Club Shay Shay podcast, calling sex scenes "embarrassing" and devoid of romance. Reflecting on his 2015 film Trainwreck with Amy Schumer, he noted, "There is nothing intimate about it. Nothing." Despite the awkwardness, he praised Schumer for creating a comfortable set, even as the scenes evolved into elaborate stunts that discarded much of the scripted dialogue.
Actress Shailene Woodley critiqued pornography's influence in September 2024 on the She MD podcast, labeling it the "junk food" of pleasure. "The way that sex is presented on the surface in this country is so fabricated, and it’s such a performance instead of true intimacy, vulnerability and connection," she argued. Woodley, who describes herself as a "very sexual person," advocated for deeper explorations of pleasure, warning that mainstream depictions rob people of genuine possibilities.
Veteran actress Goldie Hawn attributed her 40-year relationship with Kurt Russell to consistent intimacy during a September 2024 interview with E! News. "You have to have good sex," she advised. "Because sex is something that connects you and creates more belonging. People who have healthy sexual relationships usually last a lot longer. But it's not just because of the act, it's because of the warmth and the intimacy that it creates." Hawn's insights come from decades of partnership, emphasizing emotional bonds over frequency.
Rapper Ice-T shared in January 2024 with E! News the key to his long marriage with Coco Austin: "Jungle sex." He stressed maintaining attraction, saying, "When that flame goes out and you're not really attracted to each other anymore, you have to address that very quickly because it's something that's necessary." The couple, married since 2002, has often discussed their open approach to keeping passion alive.
Actress Demi Moore told the LadyGang podcast in September 2023 that she feels most confident during sex. "I feel the most confident when I'm having sex, 'Cause you're so present that you're not thinking about what is actually like…what clouds your judgement throughout the rest of the day," she explained. Moore's perspective highlights sex as a grounding force amid life's pressures.
Lisa Rinna, married to Harry Hamlin for decades, addressed aging's impact on desire in a January 2024 Cosmopolitan interview. "I do think that desire levels change for a man. That's just the natural evolution of life," she said. "We really have great sex together, and we always have. It's just that maybe it doesn't happen quite as often as it did when you're in your 30s and in your 20s, I would say. And I think that's normal." Rinna focused on companionship as a counterbalance.
Finally, Zoe Saldaña and husband Marco Perego-Saldaña revealed on The Drew Barrymore Show in April 2024 their code for intimacy around their children: "play Legos naked." Marco explained it meant "sexy time," but their twin boys began catching on, asking, "Are you guys gonna go play naked with your Legos?" The couple's lighthearted anecdote shows how parents navigate privacy in family life. These disclosures from Gunn and fellow stars illustrate a cultural shift toward destigmatizing discussions of sex, trauma, and aging, offering relatable glimpses into celebrity vulnerabilities.