Laverne Cox is opening up about the backlash she received for revealing she dated a MAGA Republican who worked as a New York City police officer. And it wasn't just one or two dates or a casual fling.
"It was spiritual," the Emmy-winning transgender actress, producer, author and model told The New York Times. "I felt a spiritual, emotional, and physical connection, all at the same time. And I had never felt that before. I was in sheer bliss with this man." And it wasn't just the "incredible" sex, she said. "This guy," said Cox, "made me feel better than any man I'd ever had made me feel before."
It started with a swipe on Tinder during the pandemic in 2020 and she broke it off in 2024, as Out reported last summer.
She first shared the breakup with her 6.7 million followers on Instagram. The revelation sparked a huge fallout among her fanbase.
As reported in July 2025, many fans "felt betrayed that Cox would form such a long relationship with someone who voted for and supported a transphobic, racist, fascist president and works for an institution that has targeted Black and trans people for over a hundred years."
But after talking to mainstream media, including The View, about that almost four-year relationship, Cox returned to a friendlier arena on Tuesday by appearing The Outlaws podcast hosted by Out100 honoree Ts Madison. The two discussed the repercussions of her revelation.
"Most people were just like, 'You should take that to your grave,'" said Cox. "It is what it is and I'm still processing it a year later." She drew a connection between cisgender attraction to trans women and statistics about adult pornography.
"Because most of the girls have dated a Republican because they're all, we know, statistically, we have the data. Trans porn in 2025 was the second most searched porn after lesbian porn," she said.
"The gag is that it was we had the most legislative attacks on trans people ever in the history of the United States in 2025. And we were the second most searched porn," Cox told Madison. "These things are not unrelated, right?"
Madison didn't hold back when she told her podcast viewers how the backlash made her feel, as if Cox was on trial, and how she would have responded.
"If I was Laverne, I'd have told them mofos, 'Suck my dick!'" said Madison. "Cuz you bitches was not going to sit up here and tell me this. This happened in my motherfucking life. I told you what happened. It was and it did. And it was not no more. I shared an experience that I ain't have to share with none of you motherfucking hoes."
Cox nodded along but offered her reflection on how her revelation impacted her fans and followers.
"I am not above reproach," Cox said, urging Madison to let her explain. "I remain teachable and I remain accountable."
She went on to address those who, in her words, "were genuinely hurt."
"I don't want anyone to think that I'm above accountability for to my community who was hurt. There were people who were genuinely hurt by that information, who were fans of mine who unfollowed me and will and never f with me, fuck with me again. There were people who were disappointed. They were people who had all kinds of other narratives going on."
Cox didn't leave out that enemies of the trans community had their own agenda.
"I can distinguish that there were good faith critiques and then there were people who were ready, they have been laying in wait to come for me, and I'm like 'Go for it,' like 'Live your life,'" she said. "As a public figure who has a politicized brand I'm accountable to my people. I have a life, I live my life, I'm going to make mistakes. I'm going to do my thing, but I'm not above reproach and I can be held accountable."
- YouTube youtu.be
