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Belgian fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg has opened up about her 25-year marriage to Fox billionaire Barry Diller, who recently came out as gay.
The couple, who tied the knot in 2001, have remained married even after he publicly disclosed his interest in men in his debut memoir, Who Knew, published in May.
In a new interview with Variety, von Furstenberg, 78, was asked to discuss supporting Diller, 83, through his decision to write honestly about his sexuality.
“Supporting him? What do you mean, supporting him?” she responded defensively. “People see it that way. For me, it’s not that way. I don’t know. Yes, I encouraged him to do that book, and yes, I encouraged him to do the Audible. But for me, the book is not about that. It’s about his life. And of course, with me, he opened immediately. For 50 years, I was the only person he opened to. Then he wrote the book.”
When pressed about what it means for her to be married to a gay man, von Furstenberg argued: “What’s the difference I don’t understand.
“It doesn’t change anything. I’m sorry — it’s a stupid question. I married two gay men, OK? I don’t know why, but to me, they’re not gay, so it doesn’t make any difference,” she insisted.
Before her marriage to Diller, the fashion icon was married to the late Prince Egon Von Furstenberg, a member of the former German royal family. They were together for four years and had two children before splitting in 1973. Shortly after they separated, Prince Egon came out as bisexual. It wasn’t until 1983 that they officially divorced.
Von Furstenberg is best known for her iconic wrap dress, which she designed in 1974 as a way to honor both women and nature.
“The two things that inspire me in life are women and nature, and with the wrap dress, I honor women and I honor nature. The secret of my prints is that they’re light,” she told Elle in 2023.
Meanwhile, Diller is famous for his tenured career as a media executive, during which he co-founded Fox Broadcasting Company in 1986.
In his memoir, Who Knew, he not only opens up about his attraction to men, but he also details his ascent to becoming one of America’s most successful businessmen.
Diller previously addressed why it took so long for him to open up about his sexuality, telling CBS correspondent Tracy Smith: “I was afraid of secrets being revealed. I was afraid of... I thought I didn’t qualify. I think, just afraid of revealing myself.
“I didn’t want to risk what a lot of other people had risked, even at that time. I mean, talking about homosexuality, talking about bi-, whatever sexuality is, was something that scared the hell out of me.”
English (US) ·