Laverne Cox is an Emmy-nominated actress, television host, producer and an LGBTQ+ advocate. And now she’s a Barbie.
Cox recently dished on reaching a huge milestone in her life — turning 50 — and on being the first transgender figure for Barbie.
In a raw moment on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show”, Cox shared that she has a history of lying about her age. It started when she was 28 and dating a 21-year-old who told her she was too old.
“I started unpacking these stories about being older,” Cox shared. “The stories were that I wasn’t hirable, I wasn’t datable, I wasn’t effable over a certain age – apparently the age was like 27 or 28.”
She then announced that this is the first year she’s no longer lying about her age. Instead, Cox said she’s proud to be turning 50, to be in love, and to be a black trans woman who is still alive. Sadly, more than 375 people in the transgender community were murdered in 2021 alone.
Cox first came to the scene at 40 years old, portraying Sophia Burset in “Orange is The New Black”. Her performance in the role won her an Emmy nomination, making her the first trans person to be nominated for the award. From there, Cox’s career took off.
A decade later Cox is one of the biggest names representing the LGBTQ+ community, Hollywood and more. Her Barbie doll is part of the Mattel’s Barbie Signature Tribute Collection which also includes dolls of director Ava Duvernay, R&B songstress Brandy, designer Vera Wang and more.
“Barbie is thrilled to welcome @LaverneCox as the newest #Barbie Tribute Collection doll, recognizing her impact in TV, film, fashion, and the LGBTQ+ community,” read the post on the official Barbie Instagram account.
How does Cox feel about her new doll? Well, emotions ran high as she told her story to her social media family.
“As a kid, I wanted a Barbie doll so badly and my mother never let me have one,” Cox said on an emotional Instagram post “Now kids get to dream with a Laverne Cox Barbie.”
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