Barry Diller, the billionaire and former CEO of Fox and Paramount, publicly confirmed his homosexuality for the first time by publishing an excerpt from his upcoming memoir, “Who Knew,” in New York Magazine. The announcement comes after years of speculation that had persisted despite his marriage to fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg in 2001, a union many had viewed as a strategy to silence rumors about his sexual orientation.
Diller, now 83, reveals that he has always felt a strong attraction to men since he was young. However, despite this, his relationship with Diane was never a pretense. He explicitly states that he never questioned the intensity of their connection, describing his love for the woman as a deeply genuine bond based on strong attraction. He emphasized that he “never questioned that its biological imperative was as strong in its heterosexuality as its opposite had been” and reiterated that, despite his preferences, their relationship had always meaningful for both of them. “I’ve lived for decades reading about Diane and me: about us being best friends rather than lovers,” he writes. “We weren’t just friends. We aren’t just friends. Plain and simple, it was an explosion of passion that kept up for years.”
Reflecting on his life journey, Diller admits that, during his years of great success, he feared that his sexual identity might threaten his career. Although he was aware of the rumors circulating about him, he had chosen not to publicly address the speculation, maintaining silence on such a delicate matter. His revelation marks a significant turning point in the life of a man who has made a substantial impact in the media world, and beyond: the mogul is also known for having created the Little Island cultural park in New York, on the Hudson River.
