Howard Rollins, also known as Howard Ellsworth Rollins Jr., leads a double life. While Rollins pretended to be a male in front of the camera, he also disguised up as a sassy lady on occasion. The change of the American actor into a lady was first revealed after his untimely death on December 8, 1996. At the moment of his death, he was dressed in a spangled gown and a wig.

More importantly, his friends and neighbors went on to share details of his metamorphosis, implying that he had been a secret gay all along.

Howard Rollins found “relief” by dressing up as a woman.

Howard Rollins was a secret keeper, preferring to keep his personal life and sexual orientation private. However, following Rollins’ death, the secrets were revealed in an interview with the GLOBE on December 24, 1996, by his dearest friends and neighbors.

One of Rollins’ friends said that dressing up as a woman brought him relief. So he’d dress up in dazzling gowns, pricey wigs, and high heels, murmuring, “I’m a lady.” I’m a lady.” He also dressed up as Tooraloora Goldfarb, put his hands on his hips, and identified himself as a woman. “Excuse me!” he’d say if people called him Howard when he was dressed like that. Tooraloora Goldfarb here.”

‘In the Heat of the Night,’ starring Howard Rollins.

Bright, Rollins’ other buddy and 18-year neighbor, told GLOBE that the actor’s favorite pastime was showing off his new feminine-like costumes to his buddies. He further said that Rollins would disguise himself as a woman and go straight to transvestite clubs in search of male lovers.

Furthermore, colleagues of the late-stage actor claimed that the late actor would repair his artificial bosoms and arrange his seams in front of his mirror in his dresses. Franco, one of his friends, even admitted to having a wig collection of six-four blondes, a brunette, and a redhead.

He desired a gold beaded cocktail dress for his funeral attire.

Despite the fact that his choice of dressing as a woman was kept a secret from the public, Rollins didn’t hide it from his friends. While dropping off his groceries, he had allowed his neighbor, Marcie Hirsch, to see him in feminine attire. He was wearing a frock and a blonde wig and eating Haagen-Daz while watching reruns of his show.

In addition, the Ragtime star had requested that his best pals bury him as a woman. He asked to be buried in a black and gold beaded party dress, complete with makeup and fake eyelashes. It was just a coincidence, but Rollins died after a few weeks of such requests. He was discovered in his apartment, unconscious and wearing a spangled frock and wig.

Despite the best efforts of the paramedics who transported him to St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital Center, he died of AIDS-related cancer complications.

His remains were later transported to Baltimore and returned to his family. He was cremated.

Overall, Rollins’ actions of transforming into a woman, his friends’ statements, and the fact that he died dressed as a woman suggest that he was homosexual.