Billie Jean King Gay: While many sports are growing popular, none can beat the enthusiasm of tennis. And, when talking about tennis, how can one forget about the era of Billie Jean King? The sports industry saw another level of dominance after witnessing the historic game. For at least 20 years, she spread her magic on the courts and was a queen of the tennis world. With numerous titles and championships under her name, one can call Billie Jean the most decorated player ever born in America. Apart from tennis, the 79-year-old was a noted figure in the outside world as well.
She is known to be a long-time supporter of gender equality and social justice. Such steps of hers fueled fans’ interest in her sexuality. As a result, Billie Jean King gay rumors are doing rounds on the internet. Further, there are several events where she is often linked to Ilana Koss. Are the gay rumors true? Let’s take a closer look at it without wasting much time.
Is Billie Jean King Gay? What Sparked Such Assumptions Among The People?
There are many faces that might come to your mind when thinking about people who paved the way for the LGBTQ community. And while in the process, one cannot miss the tennis legend, Billie Jean King. She is believed to have laid the foundation of the modern queer movement. The former tennis player is also said to have launched three distinct websites for gays. So, isn’t it obvious for her fans to doubt her sexuality? Therefore, it gradually led to the birth of Billie Jean King gay rumors.
As per the media reports, the legendary sportswoman came out of the closet back on May 1, 1981. Driven by circumstances, she emerged as the first famous female athlete to come out as gay and revealed being homosexual. Sadly, such a decision doesn’t prove to be right for her. Billie was often outed for being gay and also lost her endorsement deals. It marked a total loss of around $2 million. Not only this, but the former world number one also had to face legal issues. Jean’s former secretary, Barnett, filed a case against her and also claimed having a brief affair with the star for several years, making things worse for the athlete following Billie Jean King Gay announcement.
Billie Jean King Gay: Marilyn Barnett Filed A Lawsuit Against Her!
Billie Jean King had Marilyn Barnett as her personal assistant in the 1970s. The lady was also responsible for secretarial, managerial, and other jobs, too. According to a statement made to The New York Times, Marilyn also took care of the tennis player’s food and other essentials. As of what the reliable tabloids have published, both of them began a relationship in 1972. The affair lasted till 1979, and then Barnett made an unexpected move. She filed a complaint against Jean King, and things went darker.
It all started in Malibu, where the personal assistant lodged a lawsuit. Marilyn even threatened Billie that she would reveal their love letters to the public. The former also claimed that the tennis champion promised to hand over the Malibu home to her. Barnett’s lawyer wanted to seek half of Jean’s earnings during the case. Responding to the same, Billie’s lawyers denied the facts, and they also filed a case to expel the hairdresser from the Malibu home. However, to everyone’s surprise, the former tennis player said that her lawyers did everything without her consultation. After the 79-year-old took the matter into her own hands, she admitted to the relationship.
The American champion confessed to having been involved with Marilyn Barnett but referred to it as a mistake. Further, Billie Jean King took the entire responsibility of the case into her hands and became honest with her fans and admirers. Furthermore, judges ruled in favor of King and said that there was not enough evidence to prove that the tennis player promised her Malibu home to Marilyn Barnett. But many believe Billie Jean King Gay announcement turned out to be the biggest mistake for the tennis star.
When Billie Jean King Secretly Married Her Partner!
Apart from being the most discussed personality in the queer community as well as the sports industry, Billie Jean also created a buzz with her personal life aspects. After coming out as gay, the former tennis player has walked on a road full of thorns. It wasn’t easy for her to stand where she is now. But thanks to her long-time partner, Ilana Kloss, who simplified her journey in the best possible way. But do you know Billie and Kloss have been in love for the last 42 years? Yes, you read that right. Ilana is her former doubles partner, and they even wore each other’s rings and called themselves life partners. While they were always speculated to be a couple, everyone believed that they were not married until Billie revealed the fact.
The Biggest Announcement!
The 79-year-old unveiled that she got married to Ilana Kloss in 2018. Further, King also confirmed that former NYC mayor David Dinkins officiated the wedding held at his apartment. These surprising facts saw the light of day in one of Billie’s memoirs called All In. The 20-time Wimbledon champ said that she got wed to Kloss on October 18, 2018. Jean King also disclosed that until the writing of All In, only three people knew about her marriage to Ilana Kloss.
Meanwhile, when speaking to People Magazine, King said that she has concluded that sexuality is a ‘fluid continuum.’ Moreover, while talking on a podcast, the former World No.1 mentioned Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert to have helped her come out. Well, before getting married to Ilana Kloss, Billie Jena King broke her tie with Larry King. Both of them got wed when in school and spent years together. But, in 1987, she got separated and embarked on the journey to find herself.
Billie Talks About Equal Prize Money
When Billie Jean King lifted the trophy for the US Open in 1972, she did not celebrate much. The tennis star threatened that she might not appear on the courts for the next years because of unequal prize money. King received $10,000, while Ilie Nastase earned $15,000 more than her. After advocating for equal prize money for both male and female athletes, the 50th anniversary of that seminal moment will be celebrated now. WTA has announced an increase in such pay for women athletes, which is apparently the same as the men.
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