A star for a star: Lesbian tennis legend Billie Jean King receives historic star on Hollywood Walk of Fame

Lesbian tennis ace Billie Jean King has became the first woman to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the sports entertainment category at a ceremony on Monday, April 7, which she attended with her wife Ilana Kloss and friends, including Jamie Lee Curtis.

“The important thing is, I don’t want to be the last one,” the 81-year-old said at the event. “My family loved music and movies. A trip to Hollywood, a movie at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, was a special treat for our family. My mother would have loved this.”

The former world number one won 39 Grand Slams throughout her career, and in 1973, she defeated Bobby Riggs in the ‘Battle of the Sexes’ competition, which remains the most-watched tennis match of all time. She is also the founder of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) and the Women’s Sports Foundation and has been a prominent advocate for gender equality and social justice.

She married her ex-husband Larry King in 1964, before coming out as a lesbian in 1981 after her secretary threatened to reveal their affair. Her marriage officially ended in 1987, when Billie Jean fell in love with Ilana Kloss, her former doubles partner. The two secretly married in 2018 before publicly sharing the news three years later.

In 2000, King became the first out lesbian coach of the United States women’s tennis team. Additionally, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009 and the Congressional Gold Medal in 2024.