This A-lister survived racism, transphobia, and misogyny — and won the hearts of ‘Masked Singer’ judges
The celebrity reveals on ‘The Masked Singer’ never fail to leave the audience and the judges in awe. The same happened when Laverne Cox, who performed under the disguise of Chess Piece, unveiled her identity. None of the judges guessed that it was Cox behind the mask, which made the reveal even more exciting. Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg thought it was Serena Williams, while Ken Jeong felt it was Issa Rae. Rita Ora guessed the contestant was Tyra Banks, and Robin Thicke said it was ballet dancer Misty Copeland. Cox’s reveal was a shocker for the panelist, but what made Jeong consider her a role model?
After being unmasked, Cox spoke about the trauma and fear she felt around singing and how ‘The Masked Singer’ helped her overcome it. “What was so much fun about tonight is I got to sing and dance like I did when I was a little kid,” she added. “And it didn’t have to be right, it didn’t have to be perfect. I just had fun, and hopefully this is the beginning of me healing even more of that trauma,” she added. As a transgender woman, Cox was glad to get recognition through a Barbie doll designed like her for the Barbie-themed episode. “It was a dream come true. My Barbie was in the vanity. That’s the Lavern Cox Barbie,” she added.
Her spirit and resilience, despite facing several challenges in life, inspired the judges. “You are literally a role model, a pioneer, and an inspiration. We are just so honored for you to bless our stage,” Jeong said. The three-time Emmy-nominated actress, who began her medical transition in 1998, faced significant scrutiny. She faced racism, classism, transphobia, and misogyny on her journey to becoming who she is today. Cox appeared on Lewis Howes’s ‘The School of Greatness’ podcast to reflect on her tough journey to success. “I’ve had a lot of unfortunate things happen to me,” she said. However, Cox remained focused on her goal and refused to let her struggles define her identity.
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“I don’t need to be defined by those things. I’m not in denial of them, but they don’t define me,” she added. She decided to transition at the age of 26, but that was just the beginning. She had to struggle for years to save enough money to complete her procedure. “I couldn’t afford everything. Except for my hormone replacement therapy, every aspect of my transition I’ve paid for out of pocket,” she revealed. “It’s amazing, but it means I was waiting tables and barely paying my rent in New York. It took a really long time to put that sort of money together," the 'Inventing Anna' actress added.
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Cox explained that people who struggle with their identities often try to fit in, but that blurs their individuality further. “You do everything you can to get other people to accept you. But that’s not authenticity. True belonging is when you show up and allow yourself to be seen,” she added. Cox made her acting debut in the groundbreaking role of Sophia Burset in Netflix’s acclaimed series ‘Orange is the New Black.’ She created history by being the first-ever trans woman of color to have a leading role in a TV show.
