A Decade Later, B. Scott Is Still the Queen of Tea

B. Scott is nervously excited, like a toddler ready for their first show-and-tell, to reveal a different side of himself. His hair is slicked back, as if varnished. His face is impeccably beat, within an inch of death. Then there's his attire: a slim-fitting men's tuxedo. It's a far cry from the more femme look his fans, or "love muffins," are used to. When you're a visible Black, gender nonconforming, and gay media personality -- especially one who leads one of the top celebrity news and entertainment sites in the industry, LoveBScott.com -- people of the public can sometimes lay claim to your identity. Luckily, transformation has always been at the heart of B. Scott's career.

Scott moved to Los Angeles from Washington, D.C. in 2005, with nothing but three red suitcases in tow. At the time, he was a real estate agent and interior designer who modeled on the side. "I kept hearing that I was too feminine and if they wanted a woman, they'd hire a woman," he says. "That put a fire under me, but I didn't know what to do with it."

In Los Angeles, he started blogging with his best friend for fun. At the height of the early aughts Internet era, Scott found a place to kindle his fire full-time, right alongside the gossip sites of the era, like Perez Hilton and DListed. LoveBScott.com was established at the top of 2007, followed by a YouTube channel just six months later. One of his first videos, about Shemar Moore's "ding ding," went viral before viral was even a thing.

Scott has since parlayed his digital presence into television appearances, radio hosting, and even his own advice column. He's interviewed every star worth counting, from his friend Mariah Carey, to Jennifer Lopez, and even the legendary Chaka Khan. And the site's ongoing exclusive tea -- from the set of the Real Housewives of Atlanta or the sound stages of major movies -- keeps people coming back. In an ever-changing pop culture and media landscape, his commentary and voice still rises, like cream, to the top. "People still seek me out. That is a blessing and a miracle," he says. But success doesn't come without setbacks.

In 2013, BET pulled B. Scott from serving as a red carpet correspondent for a look -- albeit pre-approved -- that was apparently too femme for their viewers. He sued the TV network for discrimination a month later, prompting public conversation around his identity. (Both parties settled for an undisclosed amount.) "Everybody had an opinion about me and how I looked and presented myself, even in my own community" he recalled. "'He ain't trans. That's a man.' That was before people understood what it means to be part of the transgender family, and that includes gender nonconforming people like me."

B. Scott's more masc look -- still snatched, mind you -- coincides with a new phase of his brand: behind-the-scenes content creation, luxury rentals, and boutique hotels. But if there's a lesson to be learned from the high highs and low lows he's experienced, it's to "keep going." "You have a right to be who you are and to express yourself however you want," he says. "I now know people are attracted to me because of my energy, my spirit, and because of what I have to say."

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