Coming out is never an easy thing to do.
And I can't imagine being put in a position
where you have no choice, but that's
exactly what happened to our next guest.
She's an incredibly talented makeup artist
and influencer who revealed something incredibly private
last week.
Take a look.
Hello, guys.
It's me-- Nikkie.
Today, I am here to share something with you
that I've always wanted to share with you one day,
but under my own circumstances-- and it
looks like that chance has been taken away from me.
When I was younger, I was born in the wrong body--
which means that I am transgender.
But there is one thing that I really, really want
to make so clear to all of you--
I am me.
I am still Nikkie.
[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]
Nikkie's video has been viewed more than 31 million times,
and this is the first time she's sitting down and talking
about exactly what happened.
From the Netherlands, please welcome Nikkie Tutorials.
Hi, Nikkie.
Hello.
So nice to meet you.
Oh, my God.
It's an honor.
[LAUGHTER]
I'm like, can you pinch me?
Please?
Yes, I can.
OK?
Oh, God, it hurts.
It's real.
Yes.
Yeah.
[LAUGHTER]
So thank you for sitting down and--
Thank you.
And talking to us.
And I know that this is a tricky situation--
(EMPHATICALLY) Yeah.
--and a lot has happened.
But you found out that someone was--
well, they were blackmailing you and threatening
to reveal something.
Yeah.
How did you find that out?
And is that why you posted this?
Well, a couple of weeks ago, I got emails
from a certain person.
And he was not OK with the fact that I was lying
and wanted to expose that.
So he had a very pressuring tone of voice.
And he was like, if we don't get an answer by tomorrow,
it's out.
And I feel like his entire goal was--
with this-- to destroy my life.
But plot twist. (CHUCKLES) That didn't happen.
No, it did not.
So the response has been fantastic, I know.
It's been unreal.
Good for you.
I remember uploading the video, I was like, oh, I cannot do it.
Then I started crying, and my fiancé, Dylan,
was right next to me.
He was like, you can do it.
You can do it.
So he really pushed me to post it.
And he was like we're going to get through this.
You're going to be OK.
You're going to do this.
And I put it up.
And I was looking at my screen like this.
I'm like, oh, God.
Oh, God.
And then people were like, we love you.
We accept you.
And I was so happy that it's 2020,
and the acceptance is real.
Yeah, well--
Yeah.
[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]
I know your mom has been very supportive and, of course,
now your fiancé is supportive.
At what age did you realize that you were in the wrong body?
Well, it's funny because to me, I just always was so confused.
I was like, why do I have to wear that?
Or, why don't I have long hair?
And I'm really grateful-- because I
know that's not the case for everybody
out there-- my mom is a queen.
Momma Tutorials is a queen.
Even when we went to the hospital to see what was going
on, doctors were like, just don't--
they were like, don't push it too far.
Let's see where it goes.
But then I came home and I was like, mom,
I really want to wear girl clothes.
And she was like, if you want to wear girl clothes,
you're going to wear them.
Even though doctors were like, you
might want to wait with that a bit.
Wow.
Yeah.
That's great-- that she was like that.
Yeah.
All right.
So you posted these videos when you were actually
still transitioning, right?
Yeah.
So people didn't even know that when-- during that time.
And it wasn't like--
you don't feel like you were lying.
I mean, I don't think that was lying.
First of all, it's your own private business.
Yeah.
And, again, you're teaching people how to put makeup on.
Exactly.
That's got nothing to do with anybody.
Exactly.
If you wouldn't have been blackmailed,
do you think you would have come out?
And if so--
But when--
Was that important to you or--
I always wanted to come out with it,
but it is such a delicate thing that--
how do you find the timing?
There is never the perfect timing.
So in a way--
because I'm not thankful to the person who did this--
I am thankful that it happened now.
And now I get to be free.
And even though.
I am-- I have privilege.
I started when I was really young.
I pass.
I am blond.
I started when I was younger.
I look cis.
And I want to take this opportunity
to hopefully inspire a lot of transgender people out there.
And even when you're starting later on in your journey,
that we need to accept that.
And it's hard, because I don't know.
It's only been a week.
I don't know where this is going to go.
I don't know where I fit in, in this magical world.
But as long as I get to be myself and inspire
any "little Nikkie's" to be their selves,
that's all I can do.
And you will--
[APPLAUSE]
You'll inspire a lot of people.
I mean, look, I think it's still so early for a lot of people
to understand.
And I think the more that someone
sees someone else on television and says oh, that's
what that is.
Exactly.
And it's not scary.
And they're not going to hurt--
We're not monsters, yeah.
Yes.
So I think it's really important for as many people as possible
to be represented on television.
And--
Which, thank you for letting me be here.
Because.
I feel like if there's one person
to get this message across globally--
and you, like no other, know what it's like to come out.
And just thank you--
Well, you're--
--for this honor.
[APPLAUSE]
--welcome.
Thank you very much for being here.
[APPLAUSE]
The Trevor Project-- if you don't know about the Trevor
Project, it's a nonprofit that provides resources for LGBTQ+
youth.
And thanks to Shutterfly, we're going
to make a $10,000 donation in your name.
[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]
(LAUGHS)
Go to our website to find out more about the Trevor Project.
We'll be right back.