Their girlfriends and wives were careful setups by the Hollywood publicity machine, which was eager to milk their sex appeal as long as possible and keep fans from asking questions.
The fact that Rock Hudson and Cary Grant had affairs with men is now common knowledge. Gay stars picked wives, often actresses and celebrities themselves, in order to hide their sexualities and keep fans lusting after them onscreen. ' Lavender marriages,' as they were called, began as a response to big studios including ' moral clauses' in their stars' contracts.
Gay stars have been masking their sexuality under the cover of heterosexual relationships since the first days of film.