Jasmine Kennedie has come out as transgender.
On Friday, the Drag Race star came out to the other queens during the latest episode of Untucked after DeJa Skye asked the group if anyone had thought about transitioning ahead of the competition, prompting Jasmine to reveal that she was about to start hormones prior to the show.
"[But] I was scared and I didn’t want to have to go through that process while going through this,” the NYC-based queen explained, though she went on to add that she was inspired by how "confident" fellow contestant Kerri Colby was "in who she is."
"It just further affirmed what I’ve been feeling my whole life. I definitely do feel like I’m trans, and I've been so scared to say it," she said, as she asked to hold Kerri's hand. "I have held back from it for so long because I didn't want to hurt my dad. But, I can't lie about it anymore. I am trans."
Her announcement comes one week after competitor Bosco came out as trans, making Jasmine the fourth trans contestant on season 14 alongside Kerri and Kornbread "The Snack" Jeté. Not only that, but in a social media statement posted after the episode, Jasmine also went more in-depth about her journey and said she "couldn't be more happier" to finally embrace her gender identity.
"Growing up I always felt different. I never really fit the mold of what society has panned out for me to be," she said. "For the last 7 years of my life, I put all of my focus on my career. Never did I take a chance to step back and ask myself, what does Kyle want to be or what does Kyle want to do. It was always what does Jasmine need to succeed."
Jasmine then said that she "thought drag was enough for me," explaining that she felt like she "could take off the makeup anytime and no one would know me out of drag." However, there was "a certain point in my drag career I was realizing that I was doing drag to fill the void in my own life."
"I was using it to get closer to who I really am," she continued, before taking a moment to thank Chicago queen Mimi Marks for helping her begin her gender journey at 15, her boyfriend, drag mother Mancie Mandella and friends Kerri and Chiquitita for their support.
"Everything I've wanted is finally happening," Jasmine said, mentioning that she started hormone replacement therapy after filming ended. "And I am so thankful for the people who made it possible."
Read Jasmine's entire statement below.
❤️🏳️⚧️❤️ pic.twitter.com/N57yvoXmP5
— Jasmine Kennedie (@jasminekennedie) February 19, 2022
Photo via VH1