Laith Ashley: 5 Things To Know About The Trans Model In Taylor Swift’s New Music Video
The internet is abuzz with the latest star of Taylor Swift’s ‘Lavender Haze’ music video, which premiered on Jan. 27. Here are five things to know about Laith Ashley!
- Laith Ashely is a trans model known for appearing in many popular campaigns, including one for Abercrombie & Fitch.
- He has even appeared in a few TV shows, including the reality series Strut, which premiered in 2016.
- Most recently, he went viral for starring in Taylor Swift’s “Lavender Haze” music video on Jan. 27, 2023.
There are many breakout models and actors on the rise, but Laith Ashley, 36, just might be our latest obsession! The New York City native is a model, actor, and even a singer. He can often be spotted spending time at the gym whenever he’s not on the set of photoshoots. The Hollywood hunk was signed to Slay, a modeling agency dedicated to representing transgender models, in 2019, per Vogue. Below are five things to know about the 36-year-old, who recently starred in Taylor Swift‘s “Lavender Haze” music video!
1. Laith Ashley Is A Model
Laith is a successful model who has appeared in many campaigns globally. Recently, on Nov. 14, 2022, he took to Instagram to share a throwback snapshot of his shoot with fashion company Abercrombie & Fitch. “Still one of my favorite photos from this shoot. #flashback,” Laith captioned the post. Earlier, in June 2022, he partnered with YouTube and The Trevor Project for a campaign to support LGBT youth. “Happy Pride Y’all!! To me, pride is a celebration of community, of self expression, of love, and being your authentic self without judgement,” his caption of the clip read.
“It’s about remembering those that came before, and continuing to make space for those who come after! This is why I am partnering with @YouTube to show support for the @TrevorProject and LGBTQ+ youth. Join me in the #YouTubePrideChallenge and show how you’ll be making a grand reentrance this Pride!,” they added. Aside from his work as a model, they breakout star told Vogue that he attended college in Connecticut. “I am 33 years old and I studied Psychology at Fairfield University in Connecticut,” she shared with the fashion outlet in 2019.
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2. He Discovered What Being Transgender Was At 19
The Unconventional actor is very public about their life as a transgender person, and also shared when he learned what that term with Vogue. “I didn’t know what transgender was until I was 19 years old. However, at 4 or 5 years old I just knew there was something different about me,” he revealed at the time. In 2019, he also sat down with British GQ to discuss his childhood, coming out, and more. When asked about his childhood, Laith called it “ordinary.”
“My life as a young kids wasn’t out of the ordinary,” he began. “I don’t mind referring to myself – even then – it took some time to get there… as a little girl because that’s what people saw me as, that’s who I was then.” Later, he revealed the story of when he came out to his parents. “I told my mom and my dad and they were not happy. For my dad, it was more [to] defend the image of this perfect family that he wanted to preserve,” Laith said. “And then for my mom it was what would happen to me in the afterlife. She was so concerned with me going to heaven.”
3. Laith Stars In Taylor Swift’s Music Video
Most recently, Laith went viral online after starring in Taylor’s “Lavender Haze” music video on Jan. 27, 2023. He then took to Instagram to share a lengthy caption along with a clip of the video to thank the songstress for including him in the project. “Thank you @taylorswift for allowing me to play a small part in your story. You are brilliant and this is an experience I will never forget. It was truly magical,” the caption began. “Your storytelling abilities through your music and visuals continues to leave me in awe, inspired, and hopeful. Thank you for being an ally and for continuously using your platform for good. Representation matters.
AND LOVE WILL ALWAYS WIN!”
Soon many of his 325K followers and counting flooded the comments section with support for the star. “Yeah Laith!!”, one fan wrote, while another chimed in “This is AMAZING!!!! Im so happy for you!!!!” The Grammy-winner even took to her Instagram as well to thank Laith for his work on the video. “The Lavender Haze video is out now. There is lots of lavender. There is lots of haze. There is my incredible costar @laith_ashley who I absolutely adored working with. This was the first video I wrote out of the 3 that have been released, and this one really helped me conceptualize the world and mood of Midnights, like a sultry sleepless 70’s fever dream. Hope you like it,” she captioned the post.
4. He Loves To Workout
One thing that is apparent based off Laith’s social media accounts is that he loves to hit the gym! His Instagram is full of plenty of steamy gym selfies along with workout clips. “Been gone for a minute, now I’m back!!! I needed a little social media break, but I am happy to be back and continue to share my journey with you… and I’ve been workin this body out so I will give you the thirst traps you are here to see,” he captioned a Sept. 2022 selfie. And in June 2022, Laith shared a video of himself practicing some boxing moves. “Increasing speed, and learning new tricks,” they captioned the clip.
5. They Are Also A Singer
Not only is the “Lavender Haze” star an actor and model, but he’s also a singer! Laith often shared some of his singing clips via Instagram, as he did with an adorable clip from Oct. 2022. “Una bachatica moderna… bueno, ni tan moderna. Who knows @romeosantos… let’s make history baby! Also, when I say I’m Dominican I really mean Ayiti-Kiskeyano,” he wrote on the post. And earlier, in March 2022, he shared a montage of all of his singing moments from his career. “Performances, sound checks, and music video. Never thought this would be my life. I had terrible stage fright growing up. I still get super nervous, but I try to make little Ash proud,” he captioned the post.