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Elliot Page, Formerly Ellen Page, Comes Out As Transgender: I Am Feeling ‘Profoundly Happy’ But ‘Scared’
Elliot Page, the ‘Juno’ actor who formerly went by the name Ellen Page, has announced he is transgender on Dec. 1. He explained how ‘remarkable’ it feels to be his ‘authentic self’ in a public letter on social media.
UPDATE (1/26/2021, 3:15 PM ET): Elliot Page filed for divorce from his wife of three years, Emma Portner, according to TMZ. The actor filed for the dissolution of his marriage to the noted choreographer and dancer in Manhattan. The couple were married for roughly three years. Elliot took to Instagram in January 2018 to announce their union, sharing three photos with Emma and writing, “Can’t believe I get to call this extraordinary woman my wife.” The news comes nearly two months after Elliot came out as transgender.
ORIGINAL (12/1/2020): Elliot Page announced on Tuesday afternoon that he is transgender. The actor, formerly known as Ellen Page, was nominated for an Oscar for his role as the titular character in the 2007 film, Juno. He introduced Elliot to the world in a candid, formal letter shared to his Twitter and Instagram accounts on December 1.
— Elliot Page (@TheElliotPage) December 1, 2020
“Hi friends, I want to share with you that I am trans, my pronouns are he/they and my name is Elliot,” he began, admitting, “I feel lucky to be writing this. To be here. To have arrived at this place in my life.
“I feel overwhelming gratitude for the incredible people who have supported me along this journey. I can’t begin to express how remarkable it feels to finally love who I am enough to pursue my authentic self. I’ve been endlessly inspired by so many in the trans community. Thank you for your courage, your generosity and ceaselessly working to make this world a more inclusive and compassionate place,” he continued, vowing “to offer whatever support I can and continue to strive for a more loving and equal society.”
Elliot went on to ask the public for “patience” while he continues to navigate life through this “fragile” time. “The truth is, despite feeling profoundly happy right now and knowing how much privilege I carry, I am also scared. I’m scared of the invasiveness,” he admitted, adding that he also fears “the hate, the ‘jokes’ [and] violence.” The actor wrote about the “staggering statistics” and called the discrimination towards trans people “rife, insidious and cruel.”
Elliot noted that in 2020 alone, “at least 40 transgender people have been murdered, the majority of them Black or Latinx trans women.” He also condemned “political leaders who work to criminalize trans health care and deny our right to exist.” And, to those who “continue to spew hostility” towards the trans community, Elliot said, “Enough is enough.”
The actor continued, “I love that I am trans. And I love that I am queer. And the more I hold myself close and fully embrace who I am, the more I dream, the more my heart grows and the more I thrive. To all the trans people who deal with harassment, self-loathing, abuse, and the threat of violence every day: I see you, I love you, and I will do everything I can to change this world for the better,” he vowed.
Page married dancer Emma Portner in 2018. “Love you so much elliot,” Portner commented under his letter on Instagram. Miley Cyrus added, “Elliot rules!,” along with a bunch of heart emojis.
Following Elliot’s announcement, Nick Adams, GLAAD’s Director of Transgender Media, said in a statement: “Elliot Page has given us fantastic characters on-screen, and has been an outspoken advocate for all LGBTQ people. He will now be an inspiration to countless trans and non-binary people. All transgender people deserve the chance to be ourselves and to be accepted for who we are. We celebrate the remarkable Elliot Page today,” the statement concluded.
Elliot currently stars in Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy, which will return to the streaming service for its third season sometime in 2021. In a reply to Elliot’s letter on Twitter, Netflix wrote, “So proud of our superhero! WE LOVE YOU ELLIOT! Can’t wait to see you return in season 3!”
