Ex-WWE Superstar Gabbi Tuft Announces Gender Transition, 'This Is Me'
Ex-WWE Superstar Gabbi Tuft Announces Gender Transition ... 'This Is Me'
UPDATE
9:02 AM PT -- Gabbi says she first began realizing she identified as a woman when she was a kid -- telling "Extra" she would sneak into her mom's closet and try on her clothes.
UPDATE
UPDATE
"And, it just felt right," Gabbi told Billy Bush in an interview that airs Friday.
UPDATE
During the interview, Gabbi also opens up about how her romantic life with her wife has changed since transitioning from a man to a woman ... explaining how the situation has actually brought them closer together.
A former WWE superstar is going public about her gender transformation -- announcing, "This is me. Unashamed, unabashedly me."
The wrestler is Gabbi Tuft -- who performed for years under the ring name, Tyler Reks. Reks first appeared on "Smackdown" in 2010 and went on to wrestle with some of the top names in the biz, including John Cena, CM Punk and Ryback.
Reks last wrestled for WWE in 2012.
Now, Tuft -- who previously used the name, Gabe Tuft, in her personal life -- says she's going public as a proud transgender woman.
"This is the side of me that has hidden in the shadows, afraid and fearful of what the world would think; afraid of what my family, friends, and followers would say or do," Tuft said in an emotional IG post.
"I am no longer afraid and I am no longer fearful. I can now say with confidence, that I love myself for WHO I am."
Tuft says she's been struggling over the past 8 months -- "The emotional turmoil of being transgender and having to face the world has almost ended me on multiple occasions."
But, Gabbi says she stopped caring about what other people think -- which has allowed her "authentic self to come into the light."
Gabbi has been married to her wife, Priscilla, since 2002 and they have a 9-year-old daughter together. Tuft says her family is supporting her through the transition.
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"My loving wife, family, and closest friends have accepted me for who I am. To them, I am forever grateful. Your support along the way means more than you will ever know."
Gabbi says she promises to be "transparent and truthful" with her journey -- and clearly intends to be a role model for younger transitioning people who might be struggling, too.
Originally Published -- 5:56 AM PT
