TORONTO -- YouTube beauty guru Nikkie de Jager, known online as to her millions of fans and subscribers, revealed on Monday that she is transgender.
In a video posted to her YouTube channel entitled 鈥�,鈥� the 25-year-old from the Netherlands revealed her decision to come out was forced by someone attempting to 鈥渂lackmail鈥� her over her gender identity.
鈥淭oday I am here to share with you something I have always wanted to share with you one day 鈥� but under my own circumstances,鈥� she states in the opening of the video. 鈥淚t looks like that chance has been taken away from me, so today I am taking back my own power.鈥�
De Jager goes on to explain that she was born male, but had always identified as a woman 鈥� at age six, with her parents鈥� support she began to grow her hair out, and at age seven or eight wore only female clothing 鈥揳nd by age 19 was 鈥渇ully transitioned.鈥�
鈥淔ilming this video is scary, but feels so liberating and freeing,鈥� she said, expressing her desire to live 鈥渨ithout labels鈥� and to 鈥渏ust be Nikkie.鈥�
In an impassioned plea, de Jager said that in 2020, it is time for people to 鈥渦nderstand, accept, hear and respect鈥� how others choose to live their lives and present themselves.
At one point in the video, de Jager flashes a middle finger to the unnamed parties who threatened to publicly out her, after explaining that she has been 鈥渂lackmailed by people wanting to 鈥榣eak [her] story to the press.鈥欌��
鈥淧lease know that this doesn鈥檛 change anything about me,鈥� de Jager said. 鈥淢y love for makeup has always been real. I have always been real.鈥�
NikkieTutorials has been , ranking within the top ten category for popular makeup artists and beauty vloggers. Her channel currently has nearly 13 million subscribers, and her coming out video has been viewed nearly 19 million times as of Tuesday afternoon.
