[05/29/25 - 11:18 AM] ABC News Studios Announces "Late to the Party: Coming Out Later in Life," Airing June 6 on ABC Through highly intimate, emotional stories, viewers will learn about the challenges that kept older generations in the closet and celebrate with them as they experience the joy of being out and proud for the first time later in life, ultimately learning it's never too late to find acceptance, community and true self-love.
[via press release from ABC]
ABC NEWS STUDIOS ANNOUNCES 'LATE TO THE PARTY: COMING OUT LATER IN LIFE,' AIRING JUNE 6 AT 8:00 P.M. EDT ON ABC
Produced by World of Wonder, The One-Hour Special Spotlights Stories of Individuals Who 'Came Out' for the First Time as Older Adults
Today, ABC News Studios announced "Late to the Party: Coming Out Later in Life," a docuspecial that shines a light on members of the LGBTQIA+ community who "came out" as older adults, will air on Friday, June 6 (8:00-9:00 p.m. EDT), on ABC, streaming next day on Disney+ and Hulu. Through highly intimate, emotional stories, viewers will learn about the challenges that kept older generations in the closet and celebrate with them as they experience the joy of being out and proud for the first time later in life, ultimately learning it's never too late to find acceptance, community and true self-love.
Produced by World of Wonder for ABC News Studios and airing in honor and celebration of Pride Month, the special follows former New York Times columnist and bestselling author Charles Blow, who came out as bisexual in his 40s, as he explores the circumstances, struggles and triumphs of a diverse group of older people who similarly came out as LGBT in the later stages of their lives. Traversing the country, Mr. Blow meets everyday older Americans who have lived heterosexual lives for decades, including parents, a retired Baptist priest, and a man who proudly came out as gay when he was 90 years old.
"Late to the Party: Coming Out Later in Life" is produced by World of Wonder for ABC News Studios. Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato and Jeremy Simmons are executive producers for World of Wonder. Melia Patria is executive producer for ABC News Studios. David Sloan is senior executive producer. Charles M. Blow is consulting producer for World of Wonder.
About ABC News Studios
Nominated for 15 News and Documentary Emmy Awards, ABC News Studios is inspired by ABC News' trusted reporting and is an award-winning, premium news and documentary original production house and commissioning partner of series and specials. ABC News Studios champions untold and authentic stories driving the cultural zeitgeist spanning true-crime, investigations, pop culture and news-adjacent stories. ABC News Studios' original titles include critically acclaimed documentaries "Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields," "BRATS," "Sound of the Police," "The Lady Bird Diaries" and "Aftershock," and popular docuseries and documentaries, including "After Baywatch: Moment in the Sun," "Betrayal: A Father's Secret," "Killing County," "Wild Crime," "Mormon No More," "The Randall Scandal: Love, Loathing, and Vanderpump" and "Jelly Roll: Save Me."
About World of Wonder
World of Wonder (WOW) has reshaped international pop culture, earning 33 Emmys, inspiring two Oscars, creating global network WOW Presents Plus across 190 territories, and bringing drag culture to the world stage via RuPaul's Drag Race and DragCon. SVOD WOW Presents Plus, the exclusive home to the global Drag Race franchise and hundreds of WOW Original series, saw 35M hours of content watched in 2023 with 77% subscriber growth in the same year. WOW's pioneering television portfolio includes other smash-hit franchises like Million Dollar Listing. Their film division WOW Docs produces groundbreaking documentaries including Mapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures, Party Monster, and The Eyes of Tammy Faye. WOW also operates YouTube channel WOWPresents, music label World of Wonder Records, the WOW Podcast Network, and year-round international live events. Co-founders Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato have been profiled in Variety's Reality TV Impact Report and Hollywood Reporter's Most Powerful Producers in Unscripted. Honors for their trailblazing work include the IDA Pioneer Award, Realscreen's Global 100 list, Banff's Impact Award, and the OUT 100. In 2022, World of Wonder was ranked #2 among film and TV powerhouses in Fast Company's World's 50 Most Innovative Companies.
[05/29/25 - 11:18 AM] ABC News Studios Announces "Late to the Party: Coming Out Later in Life," Airing June 6 on ABC Through highly intimate, emotional stories, viewers will learn about the challenges that kept older generations in the closet and celebrate with them as they experience the joy of being out and proud for the first time later in life, ultimately learning it's never too late to find acceptance, community and true self-love.
