Editing Chely Wright (section)

==Personal life==
===Early relationships, closeted identity and breaking point===
Wright harbored the belief her sexual orientation was immoral and that her secret would kill her career hopes, as a result of her Christian upbringing.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Wright |first1=Chely |date=June 24, 2011 |title=Confessions of a Gay Christian Country Singer |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/gay-christian-country-singer_b_880736 |access-date=February 8, 2021 |website=[[Huffington Post]]}}</ref> From early childhood, she resolved to never confide her orientation to anyone or to pursue romantic relationships with women.{{sfn|Wright, Chely|2010|p=26-33}} Despite her resolution against having sex with women, Wright disclosed in her memoir that, by her early thirties, she had had sexual relationships with two women. She had her first same-sex experience at age 19 — "it was the first time I'd ever had a girl's body pressed against mine"{{sfn|Wright, Chely|2010|p=63}}—and the affair lasted the better part of a year. From 1993 to about 2004, Wright maintained a committed relationship with a woman she described as "the love of my life." In her memoir, Wright uses the pseudonym Julia to keep her identity hidden. She met Julia shortly after winning her first recording contract. The era of their relationship overlaps Wright's rise to chart-topping stardom. They maintained their relationship even though her partner subsequently married a man, and even while both women briefly had relationships with men.{{sfn|Wright, Chely|2010|p=155}}{{sfn|Wright, Chely|2010|p=280}}
{{multiple image
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 | image2 = Brad Paisley performing at Caesars Windsor, 2022-05-29 05 (cropped).jpg
 | total_width = 300
 | footer = Before publicly coming out, Wright had heterosexual relationships with country stars [[Vince Gill]] (left) and [[Brad Paisley]] (right).
}}

In 1998, Wright had a brief relationship with country artist [[Vince Gill]]. The pair had originally met as artists both signed to MCA Records. Although the pair had developed a friendship, Gill was also developing an affection for [[Christian music|Christian]] singer-songwriter, [[Amy Grant]]. At the same time, Wright still had feelings for her long-term female partner. Gill and Wright eventually split, but remained on friendly terms.{{sfn|Wright, Chely|2010|p=115-17}} In the last months of 2000, Wright began a relationship with country singer [[Brad Paisley]].{{sfn|Wright, Chely|2010|p=154-66}}<ref name="Herald">{{cite web |url=http://www.bostonherald.com/track/star_tracks/view.bg?articleid=1251876&srvc=rss |title=Chely Wright to announce she's a lesbian |work=Boston Herald |date=May 3, 2010 |access-date=May 3, 2010 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100506021244/http://www.bostonherald.com/track/star_tracks/view.bg?articleid=1251876&srvc=rss |archive-date=May 6, 2010}}</ref><ref name="Roberts">{{cite news |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music/2010/05/02/2010-05-02_country_singer_chely_wright_set_to_announce_she_is_lesbian_in_next_people_magazi.html |title=Country singer Chely Wright set to announce she is lesbian in next People Magazine: report |last=Roberts |first=Soraya |date=May 2, 2010 |publisher=NY Daily News |access-date=May 2, 2010 |location=New York |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100504082702/http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music/2010/05/02/2010-05-02_country_singer_chely_wright_set_to_announce_she_is_lesbian_in_next_people_magazi.html |archive-date=May 4, 2010}}</ref> Even though Wright and Julia had moved in together earlier that year, and Wright admitted she felt no sexual attraction to Paisley,<ref name="Music_Mix">{{cite web |last=Strecker |first=Erin |url=http://music-mix.ew.com/2010/05/05/chely-wright-comes-out-qa/ |title=Interview with Chely Wright in ''Entertainment Weekly's Music Mix'', May 5, 2010 |publisher=Music-mix.ew.com |access-date=July 24, 2012}}</ref>{{sfn|Wright, Chely|2010|p=63-74}} she recounted that "he's wickedly smart, which is one of the reasons why I made the decision to spend time with him. I loved Brad. I never had the capacity to fall in love with him, but I figured if I’m gonna live a less than satisfied life, this is the guy I could live my life with. If I’m gonna be with a boy, this is the boy."{{sfn|Wright, Chely|2010|p=116}} She held him in high esteem and great affection in every way other than sexual attraction.<ref name="Music_Mix" /><ref>Interview with Chely Wright on the television show, ''Oprah''</ref> In her autobiography she expressed remorse for how she treated Paisley.{{sfn|Wright, Chely|2010|p=116}}{{sfn|Wright, Chely|2010|p=153}}

In her memoir, Wright described being confronted about her sexuality for the first time. In March 2005, she met up with long-time friend, [[John Rich]]. After enjoying a night out, Rich drove her back. In the car ride, Rich confronted Wright about her sexuality: "You know people talk about you...they wonder if you're, you know, gay...You know, that's not cool. People don't approve of that deviant behavior. It's a sin."{{sfn|Wright, Chely|2010|p=221-22}} The confrontation caused Wright to become fearful of being outed and ultimately led her to end her 12-year relationship with Julia. The pair would soon split and Wright moved out of their home.{{sfn|Wright, Chely|2010|p=224}} After Wright's coming out in 2010, Rich issued a statement that stated his confrontation was "taken the wrong way." He also commented that he wished Wright "the best in her personal and professional life."<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Pastorek |first1=Whitney |title=John Rich responds to Chely Wright: 'I would never pass judgment on any friend of mine' |url=https://ew.com/article/2010/05/05/john-rich-responds-to-chely-wright/ |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |access-date=February 7, 2021}}</ref>

After moving out, Wright began to reach a personal breaking point in 2006. That year, she nearly took her own life while alone at her home in Nashville. She pointed a gun into her mouth, but changed her mind before pulling the trigger.<ref name="The Advocate"/> In her memoir, Wright realized she had an "urge to fight" and had a determination to become stronger. After staying in bed for several days, she rode her bike 13 miles around the Nashville area. "Keep pedaling, keep pushing, keep fighting for a breath," she recalled.{{sfn|Wright, Chely|2010|p=252-53}}

===Coming out and current life===
{{quote box|quote="I hear the word 'tolerance'—that some people are trying to teach people to be tolerant of gays. I'm not satisfied with that word. I am gay, and I am not seeking to be 'tolerated'. One tolerates a toothache, rush-hour traffic, an annoying neighbor with a cluttered yard. I am not a negative to be tolerated."|source= — Wright in a quote regarding her sexual identity{{sfn|Wright, Chely|2010|p=276}}|width=25%|align=left|style=padding:8px;}}

Wright eventually abandoned the belief of hiding her sexual identity. She soon took steps towards coming out. In 2008, Wright made the move from Nashville to [[New York City]] where she became more involved with the LGBT community. During this period, she came out to members of her immediate family and to a few of her close friends. It was not until 2007 that she decided to come out publicly, but spent the next three years writing her autobiography. She stated that she wanted to come out to free herself from the burdens of living a lie, to lend support to LGBT youth, and to dismantle the notion that being gay is immoral. On May 3, 2010, ''[[People (magazine)|People]]'' magazine reported her coming out.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Morsch |first1=Mike |title=Chely Wright: from breakup to breakdown to breakthrough |url=https://www.montgomerynews.com/entertainment/chely-wright-from-breakup-to-breakdown-to-breakthrough/article_ef9b0fb1-8267-5a10-b53a-f395b6ae6963.html |website=Montgomery Media |access-date=February 7, 2021}}</ref><ref name="people">{{cite web |url=https://people.com/celebrity/country-music-artist-chely-wright-comes-out/ |title=Country Music Artist Chely Wright Comes Out |date=May 3, 2010 |work=[[People (magazine)|People]] |publisher=People Magazine |access-date=May 3, 2010}}</ref><ref name="usatoday">{{cite news |url=http://content.usatoday.com/communities/entertainment/post/2010/05/country-singer-chely-wright-says-shes-gay/1 |title=Country singer Chely Wright says she's gay |date=May 4, 2010 |work=USA Today |publisher=USA Today |access-date=May 4, 2010}}</ref> Wright became one of the first<ref name="Herald"/><ref name="Roberts"/><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/john-rich-responds-to-chely-wright-memoir/ |title=John Rich Responds to Chely Wright Memoir |access-date=May 19, 2010 |work=CBS |date=May 7, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2010/may/14/time-out-kansan-chely-wright-becomes-first-openly- |title=Time out: Kansan Chely Wright becomes first openly gay country star |access-date=May 19, 2010 |work=Lawrence Journal World |year=2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cmt.com/news/country-music/1638272/chely-wright-acknowledges-her-homosexuality.jhtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100505234223/http://www.cmt.com/news/country-music/1638272/chely-wright-acknowledges-her-homosexuality.jhtml |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 5, 2010 |title=Chely Wright Acknowledges Her Homosexuality |access-date=May 19, 2010 |work=Country Music Television |year=2010}}</ref> members of the country music community to come out as gay; country artist [[k.d. lang]] came out in 1992 (though she later abandoned the country music genre), and [[Kristen Hall]], formerly of [[Sugarland]], was openly gay while working with that band.<ref>''The9513.com''. [http://www.the9513.com/the-malec-minute-sugarland-lawsuit-sheds-light-on-halls-departure/ The Malec Minute: Sugarland Lawsuit Sheds Light on Hall’s Departure] August 8, 2008. Retrieved August 5, 2010.</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Kort |first=Michele |date=June 21, 2005 |title=Sweet success: with her country band, Sugarland, poised to become a household word, out artist Kristen Hall is pickin' on top of the world |periodical=The Advocate}}</ref>

Following her announcement, Wright received support from fellow country artists [[LeAnn Rimes]], [[Mary Chapin Carpenter]], [[Faith Hill]], [[Naomi Judd]], [[SHeDAISY]] and [[Trisha Yearwood]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Dukes |first=Billy |title=Chely Wright Names Faith Hill, Trisha Yearwood + More as Supporters When She Came Out |url=https://tasteofcountry.com/chely-wright-gay-faith-hill-support/ |website=Taste of Country |date=March 29, 2012 |access-date=May 30, 2025}}</ref> She also found new fans that discovered her through the LGBT community and through social media platforms. Wright also lost a significant chunk of her fan base and her record sales dropped in half.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Stransky |first=Tanner |title=Country singer Chely Wright on the effect of coming out: 'My record sales went directly in half' |url=https://ew.com/article/2011/01/11/country-singer-chely-wright-coming-out-record-sales-half/ |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]}}</ref>

Two weeks after publicly coming out, Wright met fellow LGBT activist and [[Sony Music Entertainment|Sony Music]] marketing director Lauren Blitzer.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Fox |first1=Courtney |title=Chely Wright + Lauren Blitzer: Inside Their 9-Year Love Story |url=https://www.wideopencountry.com/chely-wright-lauren-blitzer-inside-their-9-year-love-story/ |website=Wide Open Country |access-date=February 7, 2021}}</ref> On April 6, 2011, Wright announced her engagement to Blitzer. The couple married on August 20, 2011, in a private ceremony on a country estate in [[Connecticut]] officiated by both a rabbi and a reverend.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/gossip/2011/08/chely-wright-married-lauren-blitzer-wedding.html |work=Los Angeles Times |title=Ministry of Gossip}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Geller |first=Wendy |url=http://new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/ourcountry/94422/chely-wright-marries-partner-lauren-blitzer-in-connecticut?nc |title=Chely Wright Marries Partner Lauren Blitzer in Connecticut |publisher=New.music.yahoo.com |date=August 20, 2011 |access-date=July 24, 2012}}</ref> On January 23, 2013, the couple announced that Chely was expecting identical twins.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/entertainment/2013/01/country-singer-chely-wright-pregnant-with-identical-twins/ |work=ABC.com |title=Country Singer Chely Wright Pregnant With Identical Twins}}</ref> In May 2013, Wright gave birth to two twin boys named George and Everett. Both children were named after their great-grandfathers, according to Wright.<ref>{{cite news |last=Saad |first=Nardine |title=Country singer Chely Wright welcomes identical twins with wife |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/gossip/la-et-mg-chely-wright-baby-identical-twins-20130520-story.html |work=Los Angeles Times |date=May 20, 2013 |access-date=July 6, 2022}}</ref>

In 2018, Wright suffered a [[stroke]]. After having a series of migraine headaches that felt unusual, Wright went to the emergency room at New York's [[Lenox Hill Hospital]]. Her doctor there confirmed that she had suffered a stroke. Wright made the news public a year later to help encourage other people to seek medical attention if they notice similar symptoms.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Billups |first1=Andrea |title=Chely Wright Reveals She Suffered a Stroke a Year Ago: 'It's Been a Long Year, But I Am Okay' |url=https://people.com/health/chely-wright-reveals-she-suffered-a-stoke-a-year-ago-its-been-a-long-year-but-i-am-okay/ |website=[[People (magazine)|People]] |access-date=February 7, 2021}}</ref>