NikkieTutorials reveals how she was blackmailed into coming out as trans in emotional Ellen DeGeneres interview
YouTube star NikkieTutorials spoke to Ellen DeGeneres on The Ellen Show
NikkieTutorials has spoken to Ellen DeGeneres about the blackmail attempt that led her to come out as transgender.
The YouTuber, real name Nikkie De Jager, came out as trans to her 12 million YouTube subscribers earlier this month, explaining that she was “born in the wrong body” and had transitioned to female as a child.
Following the announcement, NikkieTutorials paid a visit to The Ellen Show on Wednesday, sharing an emotional heart-to-heart with Ellen DeGeneres.
NikkieTutorials: Blackmailer threatened to expose ‘lies’.
She explained: “A couple of weeks ago I got emails from a certain person, who was not OK with the fact that I was ‘lying’ and wanted to expose that.
“He had a very pressuring tone of voice, and he was like, ‘If I don’t get an answer by tomorrow, it’s out.’ I think his entire goal with this was to destroy my life. Plot twist, that didn’t happen!”
YouTube star NikkieTutorials spoke to Ellen DeGeneres on The Ellen Show
Asked if she would have come out if not for the blackmail, the YouTube star said: “I always wanted to come out with it, but it’s such a delicate thing, and there’s never the perfect time.
“In a way, I’m not thankful to the person who did this, but I am thankful that it happened now and I get to be free.”
“I want to take this opportunity to inspire a lot of transgender people out there. I don’t know where I fit in in this magical world, but as long as I get to be myself, and inspire little Nikkies to be themselves, that’s all I can do.”
YouTuber thanks fans for ‘unreal’ response.
She said of the response: “It’s been unreal. I uploaded the video and just started crying, but people were like, ‘We love you, we accept you.’ I was so happy that it’s 2020 and the acceptance is real.”
Of her transition, the YouTube star said: “[Growing up] I just always was so confused. Why do I have to wear that, and why don’t I have long hair. My mum is a queen.
“We went to the hospital to see what was going on, and the doctors were like, ‘Don’t push it too far, let’s see where it goes.’ I came home and said, ‘Mum, I really want to wear girl clothes,’ and she was like, ‘If you want to wear girl clothes, you can wear them.'”
Paying an emotional tribute to DeGeneres, she said: “Thank you for letting me be here. I think there’s one person to get this message across globally, and you like no other know what it’s like to come out, so thank you for this honour.”
In return, DeGeneres announced a $10,000 donation to The Trevor Project to support LGBT+ youth.
