Out athlete and America's sweetheart Adam Rippon has been a continuous source of inspiration since coming into the mainstream spotlight during this year's Winter Olympics. The gay figure skater has made some serious headlines on and off the ice, as a fervent advocate for the LGBT community in the face of obstacles like Vice President Mike Pence, a known anti-LGBT public figure.
It should come as no surprise that the decorated Olympian would find his name added to TIME magazine's annual 100 Most Influential People of the Year list for 2018. However, one particular icon was waiting with open arms and a swift pen to welcome Rippon into the exclusive group—Cher.
The beloved (and iconic) singer/songwriter/actress, penned some words of praise about Rippon.
"He isn’t just a beautiful skater. He has humility, grace, and an incredible sense of humor," she wrote.
When touching on the head-turning leather harness/suit Rippon wore while attending this year's Academy Awards, Cher also had this to say: "It wasn’t about the suit, really. It was about the fact that he dares to be different in a world where being different always comes with a cost, I thought it was fabulous, of course."