Lindsay Lohan embarked on a secret lesbian affair with aspiring actress Courtenay Semel before meeting Samantha Ronson, it has been claimed.

Semel - the daughter of Yahoo! Ceo Terry Semel - insists she was the Mean Girls star's first gay love.

But she claims they kept their affair secret because of the actress' fear of coming out to the world.

She says, "Everyone thinks Samantha is Lindsay's first lesbian love, but we were very passionate until her fear of being found out drove us apart."

"At the time she was terrified her career would be over if she revealed her sexual tendencies.

"But then Samantha came on to the scene and I was dropped."