2016 Out100 cover star Ellen DeGeneres was known as the queen of nice, pointing out in her interview that she "never liked mean comedy." That continued for a few years until, in 2020, BuzzFeed published an explosive report detailing what employees called a "toxic work culture" on her popular daytime talk show.
Former employees of the show told reporters that executive producers and other senior managers created an environment of bullying, retribution, racism, and toxicity. They also claimed that DeGeneres, as head of the show, held responsibility for allowing things to get that bad. The controversy, as well as declining ratings and a shift in how she was perceived, eventually led DeGeneres to end her 19-year talk show in 2022 and take a step back from show business.
DeGeneres is still married to actress Portia De Rossi and, in 2024, is planning on releasing her first comedy special since 2018's Relatable. She has said that the new special will address her show's controversy and will also be her final stand-up comedy special. While her show ended in controversy, DeGeneres still remains a groundbreaking force in comedy and queer representation who changed what was possible for queer women in Hollywood.
OUT100: Ellen DeGeneres, Entertainer of the Yearwww.out.com
Model Tracey Norman was another Out100 cover star in 2016, and her legacy continues even to this day. In the 1970s, Norman worked as a model, being named "The First Black Trans Model" and pushing aside barriers like they were nothing. Throughout the 70s and 80s, she appeared in magazines like Essence, Vogue Italia, and Harper's Bazaar India. She was the cover model on the box of Clairol's "Born Beautiful" hair color No. 512, Dark Auburn.
Norman's Out100 cover was part of a career resurgence that saw her appear in New York Magazine, Harper's Bazaar with fellow trans model Geena Rocero, and another campaign with Clairol. Her legacy was honored on the groundbreaking drama series Pose, where Indya Moore's character Angel tried to break into the modeling industry before being outed and losing modeling jobs.
OUT100: Tracey Norman, Legendwww.out.com
In 2016, Tom Ford was fresh off directing Nocturnal Animals, his psychological thriller starring Amy Adams, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Michael Shannon. In the next few years, Ford served as chairman of the Council of Fashion Designers of America between 2019 and 2022. Moreover, in 2021, his husband of seven years (and partner of 35 years) Richard Buckley died.
The impact of Lin Manuel Miranda's musical Hamilton cannot be overstated, and 2016 Out100 cover star Javier Muñoz will always be a part of that. The actor took over for Miranda after he left the title role and has continued to work since. Muñoz starred opposite singer Troye Sivan in the film Three Months about a high school student who was exposed to HIV. Now, Muñoz is working on the musical theater production of Galileo. He also continues to advocate for gay rights and the HIV and AIDS communities.
OUT100: Javier Muñoz, Breakout of the Yearwww.out.com
