“They Broke Me”: Chaka Khan Reveals the 8 Lesbian Actresses She Dated – and Now Despises

For decades, Chaka Khan was the queen of funk, the voice behind some of the most unforgettable soul anthems of the 70s and 80s. But behind the glittering fame, the gold records, and the untouchable stage presence was a woman hiding an entirely different reality—one shaped by secrets, heartbreak, and a string of relationships the public never knew about.

Now, at 72 and unbothered by what anyone thinks, Chaka has decided to tell it all. In a confessional interview that sent shockwaves across Hollywood, she dropped eight names—eight actresses she says she once loved in secret, and now considers “the most toxic people” she ever let into her life.

And make no mistake, this wasn’t just a spicy story. This was an eruption.

“I Was Their Secret”

Chaka didn’t hesitate.

“They were famous. They were beloved. And they were terrified. Of me. Of being exposed. Of themselves,” she began, her voice steady but filled with years of quiet bitterness. “I was their secret, their escape, their thrill. But never their choice in public.”

She didn’t name all eight actresses at once. Instead, she described each relationship in careful, excruciating detail—one at a time—letting the world piece together who they might be. The clues? Almost too precise.

“One of them won an Oscar in the 90s. She used to come to my shows in wigs and sunglasses, pretending to be someone else. We spent two years together. And not once did she say she loved me unless we were alone, in the dark, away from everything.”

The Betrayals That Cut Deep

What hurt Chaka the most wasn’t the secrecy. It was the betrayal.

“There was one,” she said slowly, “who dated me while she was engaged to a man. She used me like a testing ground, a playground, whatever you wanna call it. Then she left me. Two weeks later, she married him. And to this day, she still sends me flowers every damn year on my birthday.”

She shook her head.

“I don’t want her flowers. I want my dignity back.”

Another actress, described as “the darling of an early-2000s sitcom,” allegedly leaked private photos of them to a tabloid — not to expose herself, but to threaten Chaka into silence.

“She called it insurance. She said, ‘If you ever say anything, they’ll know it was you.’ Can you imagine the fear? The paranoia? I was afraid to even sing certain lyrics on stage. I thought people would see right through me.”

The Hidden World of Lesbian Hollywood

What Chaka’s revelations truly expose isn’t just her personal pain. It’s the quiet, closeted underworld of queer women in Hollywood—a place where image is everything, and authenticity is currency no one wants to spend.

“They were scared,” she admitted. “Back then, being gay could ruin your career. I understood that. But understanding it didn’t stop it from hurting.”

She described hotel meetups, aliases at the front desk, and entire weekends spent behind blackout curtains so no paparazzi would catch a glimpse.

“There were so many mornings I’d wake up next to them, and the first thing they’d say was, ‘Did anyone see me come in?’ Not ‘Good morning.’ Not ‘I missed you.’ Just fear. Always fear.”

One of the eight, she said, even begged her to wear a wig and use a fake name when they traveled together.

“I did it. That’s the saddest part. I did it. Because I thought that’s what love looked like when you’re famous.”

From Passion to Poison

But for Chaka, the relationships eventually turned. What started as intimacy quickly dissolved into resentment. Gaslighting, ghosting, and manipulation became regular patterns.

“Some of them didn’t just hide me. They humiliated me. One called me her ‘funky little hobby’ to her friends. Can you imagine?”

Chaka’s voice cracked as she revealed another actress, one who “played a fierce woman on screen but was spineless behind the scenes,” once threatened to blacklist her if she went public.

“She said, ‘You think anyone’s gonna pick you over me?’ That was the moment I knew I had to walk away. But I didn’t walk. I crawled.”

She paused.

“I gave the best parts of me to people who only wanted my silence.”

Naming Names

Though Chaka has refrained from naming all eight actresses publicly (for now), she made it clear she’s not afraid anymore.

“The truth has lived in my chest long enough. It’s eaten through my ribs. I’m done protecting people who never protected me.”

Sources close to the singer say that at least three of the women she described are still working in Hollywood today—two are married to men, one is currently in a high-profile queer relationship but has never spoken about Chaka.

“She watches me on red carpets and acts like we never shared a bed. Never cried in each other’s arms. I see her. I remember.”

The Final Message

So why speak now?

“I want my story back,” Chaka said. “For years, people have asked why I never married, why I seemed guarded, why I drank so much. They didn’t know I was carrying eight broken hearts, none of which were mine.”

Her voice softened.

“I’m not bitter. I’m honest. I don’t hate them because they were scared. I hate them because they were cowards.”

When asked if she’d ever forgive any of them, she paused for a long moment.

“Maybe. But only if they stand next to me — on camera — and say my name.”

Until then, she says, the door is closed.

A Final Note to the Women

To end the interview, Chaka pulled out a worn notebook. Inside, handwritten letters to each of the eight actresses.

“Some of them will never read this. Some will read it and pretend they didn’t. But I wrote them anyway.”

Then she read a line out loud:

“You were fire and ice, spotlight and shadow. I loved you when no one else could. But I won’t keep burning just to keep you warm.”