Howard Bragman, PR and Coming Out Guru to the Stars, Has Died

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The out icon of the entertainment industry guided many closet exits.

Neal Broverman

Neal Broverman is the Editorial Director, Print of Pride Media, publishers of The Advocate, Out, Out Traveler, and Plus, spending more than 20 years in journalism. He indulges his interest in transportation and urban planning with regular contributions to Los Angeles magazine, and his work has also appeared in the Los Angeles Times and USA Today. He lives in the City of Angels with his husband, children, and their chiweenie.

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Neal Broverman

February 12 2023 6:44 PM EST

February 12 2023 7:12 PM EST

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A lovable (and sometimes fierce) lion of the entertainment industry has passed away — Howard Bragman succumbed to leukemia on Saturday night at the age of 66.

The news was reported by Bragman's boyfriend, Mike Maimone, and picked up by various entertainment trade publications, including Variety.

Working in the public relations sphere for decades, Bragman founded numerous PR and media companies and represented clients as disparate as Cameron Diaz, Monica Lewinsky, and Terrence Howard. Bragman also personally oversaw the high-profile coming outs of celebrities like basketball player Sheryl Swoopes, football player Michael Sam, country singer Chely Wright, TV icon Meredith Baxter, and actor Chaz Bono. Bragman was fiercely loyal to his clients and was respected (and slightly feared) by entertainment journalists.

GLAAD president and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis honored Bragman's work in fostering LGBTQ+ visibility and representation.

\u201cHe worked with LGBTQ notables to ensure their coming out stories were treated with dignity & created impact for the entire community. His own visibility as an out exec, trademark humor, and bold approach to public relations, made unforgettable marks on media, entertainment & PR.\u201d
— Sarah Kate Ellis (@Sarah Kate Ellis) 1676219208

Bragman was also philanthropic, bequeathing a $1 million endowment to establish the Howard Bragman Coming Out Fund on the facilities of the University of Michigan, his alma mater. Part of those funds benefits the Spectrum Center, a campus LGBTQ+ center. Bragman said the long-running Spectrum Center helped him as a "fat, Jewish, gay kid."

“I don’t care how liberal the school is. I don’t care how accepting and loving your parents are. I don’t care how ‘woke’ the times are. Coming out is this most personal of journeys, and it’s a challenging journey,” Bragman said. “It’s so important for students to know they are not alone and that the Spectrum Center is there for them."