Nikkie de Jager, known as NikkieTutorials on YouTube, came out as transgender on Jan. 13 in a video she posted online titled “I’m Coming Out.” The popular beauty guru revealed that blackmailers had threatened to expose her identity and leak her story to media outlets, but she wanted to share her personal story with her own words by “taking back [her] own power,” something she stressed to her viewers in her 17-minute video. She explained that she is a cisgender male but has known since childhood that she identifies as a woman, beginning her transition at the young age of 14 by taking various hormones and growth stoppers, and fully transitioning by the age of 19. In addition to stating she is transgender, de Jager also went on to share about her background and childhood as well as how she hopes to inspire “little Nikkies around the world who feel insecure, who feel out of place, [and] who feel misunderstood.” The Dutch makeup artist also emphasized how she does not want to give herself a specific label because she does not want to draw all the attention to just one aspect of her identity.
Despite having transitioned and adjusting to her new lifestyle years ago, the recent push for her to speak out has forced her to return back to a chapter of her life that she had already moved on from, but she still wanted to share her perspective and rise up over her blackmailers. In her emotional video, she also addressed questions that viewers may have had, such as whether her cisgender fiancé Dylan was aware and supportive of her history. In response, she stated that she wished she had told her fiancé the truth sooner and advised any of her 13.2 million subscribers on Youtube who find themselves in a similar situation to share their own truth with their loved ones as early as possible. Other influencers and YouTubers responded positively to de Jager’s story and showed their support. Nikita Dragun, another transgender YouTuber, and Jinkx Monsoon, a drag performer, expressed their support for her online and reiterated her message that no one should be afraid to be themselves and live their own truth and reality.
Since starting her YouTube channel in 2008, de Jager has come a long way in serving as a role model for her audience and leading as an influencer on social media. Last year in 2019, Marc Jacobs named her the brand’s first-ever global artistry advisor, which granted her the opportunity to become more integrated into the product development process and to acquire more talent and expertise to broaden her artistry for her own YouTube channel. In 2017, she also received the opportunity to work with companies such as Maybelline and OFRA to collaborate in creating beauty products, and her popularity and talent have endured since then. Now at age 25, de Jager has been creating videos for over a decade, continuing to inspire the younger generation, and impacting the greater beauty community and industry.