Remembering all the LGBTQ+ stars we lost in 2025

This year, the LGBTQ+ community lost stars and famous faces from across the entertainment industry, including drag titans, Emmy-winning acting legends, pioneering activists and history-making musicians. 

The community has also lost dozens more famous allies and inspirations, including Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne, film director Rob Reiner, The First Wives Club actress Diane Keaton and much-memed How Clean Is Your House? star Kim Woodburn.

Here we remember the lives of the LGBTQ+ celebrities we lost in 2025.

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The Vivienne (January, aged 32)

James Lee Williams, better known publicly as The Vivienne, died on 3 January due to a cardiac arrest after taking ketamine. The drag star shot to international fame in 2019 after winning the inaugural season of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK and later returning for All Stars 7 in 2022. She also became a TV staple in the UK, reaching the final of Dancing On Ice in 2023, and appeared on stage in the West End. 

Williams’ family are working with charities Sanctuary Trust and Adferiad to raise awareness of the impact of taking ketamine, and have started House of The Vivienne, a support group for people struggling with addiction.

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Roman Mercury (February, aged 45)

Hermes Sant Anna Filho, best known by his adult film alias Roman Mercury, died aged 45 in February, according to his friend and fellow adult performer Greg Dixxon. The Brazilian performer died of a heart attack.

Throughout his career, Mercury worked with studios and adult film production companies including Raging Stallion, RawFuckClub, TopFanVids, TheBroNetwork, Pantheon Productions, and MenAtPlay, and also shared content via OnlyFans. Earlier this year, he received his first ever GayVN Awards nomination for his content. 

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Sha’Vi Lewis (February, aged 39)

Fashion designer Sha’Vi Lewis, who appeared as a contestant on the 18th season of Project Runway, died on 24 February according to his aunt. She praised her “fabulous, talented” nephew and said that he is in “a much better place”.

After graduating university, Lewis created his own clothing line and took a position as the creative director of menswear company Stephen F. In addition to appearing on Project Runway, on which he came in 10th place, he designed outfits for Ryan Murphy’s trans drama, Pose. 

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Tim Kruger (March, aged 44)

Tim Kruger, adult film star and the founder of explicit website TimTales, died aged 44 on 1 March in a “tragic accident” at his home in Mallorca, according to his long-term partner Grobes Geraet.

His work on camera, and behind it as an entrepreneur, earned him dozens of accolades in his near 20-year career, and TimTales remains one of the most notable gay adult websites of the 21st century.

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Damien Stone (March, aged 32)

Adult film star Daniil Fedorovich Onofrey, known by his alias Damien Stone, died aged 32 due to complications related to his enlarged heart. The performer had created content for popular sites including Bromo, FaceDownAssUp, TheGuySite, ManUpFilms, Men, and TransAngels, as well as on OnlyFans.

He was also a keen bodybuilder, and had reportedly won several bodybuilding championships in Pennsylvania, where he was raised.

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Richard Chamberlain (March, aged 90)

Three-time Golden Globe winner Richard Chamberlain, best known as the “King of the Mini-Series” and for his role as eponymous heartthrob Dr. James Kildare in Dr. Kildare, died from the complications of a stroke in Hawaii on 29 March.

Across six decades, he became a star of the screen (both big and small) and stage (both as an actor and a singer), earning four Emmy nominations and a Grammy nod. He didn’t confirm his sexuality until the release of his memoir Shattered Love: A Memoir in 2003, at the age of 68.

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Jiggly Caliente (April, aged 44)

RuPaul’s Drag Race star, Drag Race Philippines judge and Pose actress Jiggly Caliente, also known as Bianca Castro-Arabejo, died aged 44 on 27 April, following a “severe infection” that resulted in the loss of her leg. She died “surrounded by her loving family and close friends,” her loved ones shared in a statement.

Jiggly first appeared on Drag Race season four in 2012, swiftly becoming a fan favourite. In 2016, she came out as a trans woman, and returned to Drag Race for All Stars 6 in 2021, where she further solidified her icon status among the show’s fandom.

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Jill Sobule (May, aged 66)

Jill Sobule, the bisexual singer-songwriter behind historic sapphic song “I Kissed A Girl”, died in a house fire in May aged 66, her publicist confirmed.

Sobule’s “I Kissed A Girl” became the first overtly LGBTQ+ song to reach the top 20 on a Billboard chart following its release in May 1995, while she also found success in her follow-up singles, “Supermodel” and “Bitter”. Across her 30-year career, Sobule released 12 studio albums, and contributed to soundtracks for films and TV shows including The Simpsons, Clueless and Unfabulous.

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Koby Falks (May, aged 42)

Anthony Cox, known publicly by his adult film alias Kolby Falks, died on 28 May at the age of 42, according to his publicist.

Predominantly known as an explicit content creator on JustForFans and OnlyFans, the Australian star will be remembered by his loved ones for “his warmth, his charisma, and his incredible professionalism,” his PR representative wrote. No cause of death has been declared publicly.

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Colton Ford (May, aged 62)

Adult film icon Colton Ford, known to his loved ones as Glenn Soukesian, died on 19 May. It was initially believed that he had died in a hiking accident near Palm Springs but, as reported by the Bay Area Reporter in September, a coroner’s investigation found that Ford died of an accidental drug overdose due to MDMA intoxication. Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, a condition which causes the heart muscle to thicken, was a “significant” contributor to his death.

In addition to his adult film career, which began in the early 2000s, Ford was known as a film and TV actor, singer-songwriter, and personal trainer. He won the GayVN Award for Gay Performer of the Year in 2003.

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AJ Bediako (May, aged 34)

Basketballer and RuPaul’s Drag Race UK ‘Brit Crew’ member AJ Bediako died aged 34 in May, his basketball club London Knights Basketball Club shared in a statement.

The actor, fitness coach and personal trainer, who appeared in three episodes of the first season of Drag Race UK, will be remembered for “his uplifting energy, constant support and beaming smile,” the club wrote.

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Roland Curram (June, aged 92)

British actor Roland Curram, who played the best friend of Julie Christie’s Diana Scott in the three-time Oscar-winning film Darling, died aged 92 on 1 June due to kidney failure and prostate cancer.

Beginning in the 1950s, Curram’s acting career thrived for more than 40 years, with roles in Golden Globe winner Madame Sousatzka, and as Freddie Martin in BBC soap Eldorado – one of the first out gay characters on British TV. He came out as gay in the early 1990s.

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Jonathan Joss (June, aged 59)

Actor Jonathan Joss was shot and killed following a dispute near his home in San Antonio, Texas on 1 June, the first day of Pride month. His neighbour, Sigfredo Ceja Alvarez, reportedly confessed to shooting Joss dead, and was arrested on a charge of first-degree murder. In November, he was indicted by a grand jury on one count of murder.

In a statement following his death, Joss’s partner Tristan Kern de Gonzales stated that Alvarez had approached the couple shouting homophobic slurs – which has been denied by Alvarez, his family and his lawyer – before firing his gun. Kern de Gonzales said that Joss pushed him out of the way, ultimately saving his life.

Jonathan Joss began his career in 1994, appearing on TV show Walker, Texas Ranger, before appearing in TV and film hits including Tulsa King, King of the Hill and Parks and Recreation.

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Loren Ruch (June, aged 55)

Loren Ruch, the co-host of HGTV House Party and head of content at the home improvement channel, died aged 55 in June due to acute myeloid leukemia.

HGTV star and former Queer Eye co-host Bobby Berk remembered Ruch as “such a warm light in a dark world” while Ruch’s husband, David Salas, described him as the “kindest, loving man in existence” in a heartbreaking post.

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Edmund White (June, aged 85)

Renowned novelist Edmund White, perhaps best known for his pioneering gay sex manual The Joy of Gay Sex, died in New York on 3 June due to a suspected stomach infection.

During his expansive career, White wrote more than 30 books, many of which focused on gay men, during an era where LGBTQ+ visibility was still scarce. His final book, sex memoir The Loves of My Life, was published in January this year.

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Anne Burrell (June, aged 55)

Food Network staple Anne Burrell, who hosted hit shows including Secrets of a Restaurant Chef and Worst Cooks in America, died at home in New York on 17 June.

The chef and former restaurant owner was found unresponsive and her death was later ruled as suicide. She had previously been in a relationship with fellow chef Koren Grieveson, but went on to marry her husband Stuart Claxton in 2021.

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Andrea Gibson (July, aged 49)

Genderqueer poet and activist Andrea Gibson, who wrote seven poetry books on topics across gender identity, queerness and social justice, died aged 49 in July after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2021.

Their life, and how they navigated the illness, which returned in 2022 and then 2023, was the subject of documentary Come See Me in the Good Light, which Gibson appeared in alongside their wife, the writer Megan Falley. The film won the Festival Favourite Award at the Sundance Film Festival in early 2025. 

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Sophia Hutchins (July, aged 29)

Businesswoman and former reality TV star Sophia Hutchins was most known as the best friend and former manager of Caitlyn Jenner, having appeared on Jenner’s documentary series I Am Cait in the mid 2010s. She was also formerly the chief executive of Jenner’s charitable organisation the Caitlyn Jenner Foundation, and resided with the outspoken media personality in Malibu.

Hutchins died in a road accident on 2 July, after her ATV collided with the back of a vehicle and left the road.

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Noel Tovey (August, aged 90)

Noel Tovey, the Aboriginal trailblazer, dancer, choreographer and LGBTQ+ activist, died aged 90 on 11 August.

Despite a tough childhood in Melbourne, Australia, where he was born, the performer – who was of Ngarrindjeri heritage – went on to become the first-ever Aboriginal male ballet dancer and appeared on theatre stages globally.

He was also an out LGBTQ+ activist, imprisoned in the 1950s for homosexual acts, before advocating for better support for older LGBTQ+ people.

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Giorgio Armani (September, aged 91)

Italian fashion designer, Armani founder and one of the world’s richest men, Giorgio Armani died at his home in Milan from liver failure on 4 September.

After setting up Armani in 1975 at the age of 41, he came to be known as one of the most revered fashion designers in history, with his legacy evidenced on every street we walk down and every magazine we pick up. He changed the way the world dresses for good.

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Raymond ‘Rolling Ray’ Harper (September, aged 28)

Raymond Harper, best known by his alias Rolling Ray, died aged 28 from natural causes on 3 September, just two days before his 29th birthday.

The self-described “king of gay rap” became a notable social media presence in the early 2020s following a viral video of the star saying “purrr” into a disposable camera. The term became embedded in gay online lexicon, and Rolling Ray went on to appear in shows including Bobby I Love You, Purrr andCatfish: Trolls and Divorce Court.

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Miss Major Griffin-Gracy (October, aged 78)

Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, a pioneer in the fight for transgender rights and a veteran activist who was present at the Stonewall Riots in 1969, died aged 78 in October, just days before her 79th birthday.

She fought ardently for Black trans women, and worked with HIV prevention groups during the height of the AIDS crisis in America. In 2019, she founded the House of gg, also known as The Oasis and The Griffin-Gracy Retreat and Educational Center, which remains dedicated to supporting trans and gender non-conforming people.

Miss Major, or Mama as she was frequently known, was moved to hospice care in early October after being hospitalised with sepsis and a blood clot. She died at home, surrounded by loved ones.

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Girlalala (November, aged 21)

Trans TikTok influencer Girlalala, who had almost 300,000 followers on the app, died from gunshot wounds after being shot on 14 November in the Florida city of Lauderdale Lakes.

Her boyfriend of seven years, Shanoyd Whyte, was arrested and is facing a first-degree murder charge.

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Scott Finn (November, aged 27)

Rhett Douglas Messerly, who was also known by his adult film stage name Scott Finn, died aged 27 on 23 November, according to an obituary written by his family. The performer, who appeared in explicit gay films made by studios including Active Duty and Next Door Studios, was also a skilled chef.

In June, he opened up about trying to get his life back on track after a “hard” 12 months. His family wrote that they could “find some comfort in knowing his pain here is over and he rests with his Heavenly Father again”.

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Udo Kier (November, aged 81) 

Udo Kier, the cult cinema icon and German actor, died in November at the age of 81, his partner Delbert McBride confirmed.

The star, who was best known for his work in horror films including Flesh for Frankenstein and Blood for Dracula and award-winning drama My Own Private Idaho, died at the Eisenhower Medical Center in California, though no cause was specified.

Despite beginning his career in the 1960s, when homosexuality was still illegal in Germany, the actor was transparent about his sexuality throughout his adult life.

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Chad Spodick (December, aged 42)

Reality TV star Chad Spodick, who appeared on LGBTQ+ dating show Finding Prince Charming, died in early December. His family wrote in a post on GoFundMe that his death was “sudden and heartbreaking”, with the cause of death later revealed as suicide.

The 42-year-old will be remembered “as the type of person who poured himself into others,” his family wrote, adding that “he lifted up his friends, encouraged everyone around him to grow, to advocate for themselves, and to believe in their own worth”.

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Wenne Alton Davis (December, aged 60)

Actor Wenne Alton Davis died on 8 December after being fatally struck by a car in Midtown Manhattan, New York.

The performer, who used they/them pronouns according to their Instagram profile, was best known for roles in The Marvelous Mrs Maisel and Girls5eva. They were remembered by their family “as a bright light” who had a “generous spirit and love of life”.

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Stanley Baxter (December, aged 99)

BAFTA-winning comedian and actor Stanley Baxter died aged 99 on 11 December in London, and a cause of death has not been specified.

Born in 1926, Baxter began his career as a child actor, meaning his entertainment work spanned almost a century. He was best known as the host of several Stanley Baxter TV series throughout the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s, most predominantly The Stanley Baxter Show.

His work extended onto the big screen, stage, and in books, and in 1997, he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the British Comedy Awards. He came out as gay in 2020, aged 94.

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Anthony Geary (December, aged 78)

Actor Anthony Geary, who was best known for playing the role of Luke Spencer on General Hospital for nearly 30 years, died on 14 December from complications related to an operation which took place a few days earlier.

His husband, Claudio Gama, paid tribute to his “friend, companion and husband” in a heartbreaking confirmation of the star’s death.

While Geary also appeared in films including UHF and Johnny Got His Gun, it was his work in General Hospital that he will be most remembered for: he won eight Daytime Emmy Awards in the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series category, the most of any performer in history.

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Blake Mitchell (December, aged 31)

OnlyFans performer Blake Mitchell, known by his loved ones as Lane V Rogers, was killed in a motorcycle crash on 15 December near Thousand Oaks in California.

The adult film star began his career doing cam work in 2014, before appearing in a number of explicit films. After starting his OnlyFans account in 2018, his popularity exploded, and he became known as one of the most popular adult actors on the platform. On Instagram, he acquired more than 400,000 followers.

He was remembered by a friend as “relentlessly loyal, opinionated, brutally honest yet fair, forgiving, level-headed, hilarious, inquisitive, ethical, and endlessly full of life”.