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Why Laverne Cox Chose to Tell Her Story Now
What Laverne Cox's Fans Will Be Surprised to Learn
Laverne Cox on Community and Sharing Stories
Laverne Cox shares what listeners will learn in TRANSCENDENT
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About The Book
Four-time Emmy-nominated actress Laverne Cox shares her journey as a transgender woman in Hollywood, confronting childhood trauma, shame, gender identity, her transition, body image issues, her search for romantic love, deep-seated feelings of unworthiness, and ultimately, healing.
Laverne Cox is a powerhouse in the fight for transgender rights and representation—but her path from a struggling trans actress to a cultural movement was anything but easy.
Surviving a childhood full of trauma, dealing with depression, and working at a drag restaurant in New York City for seven years, Laverne was turning forty and felt it was time to throw in the towel when it came to being a Hollywood star—then she booked the character of Sophia Burset in Orange is the New Black. Her world changed overnight.
She made history as the first openly transgender person nominated for a Primetime Emmy, starred in a range of high-profile shows, and became the first transgender person to win a Daytime Emmy as executive producer on Laverne Cox Presents: The T Word. A red-carpet fashion icon, podcast host, and fearless advocate, she uses her stardom to champion LGBTQ+ rights, whether on Hollywood’s biggest stages, her personal channels, or at Supreme Court hearings. And she’s only getting started.
In Transcendent, you will experience life in Laverne’s shoes, from her childhood abuse to making her big break, dealing with Hollywood bureaucracy, feeling lonely in a world that is unaccepting, and finding her voice through the chaos of it all. With behind-the-scenes stories and personal reflection, we can heal and fight for equality, right alongside Laverne.
Laverne Cox is a powerhouse in the fight for transgender rights and representation—but her path from a struggling trans actress to a cultural movement was anything but easy.
Surviving a childhood full of trauma, dealing with depression, and working at a drag restaurant in New York City for seven years, Laverne was turning forty and felt it was time to throw in the towel when it came to being a Hollywood star—then she booked the character of Sophia Burset in Orange is the New Black. Her world changed overnight.
She made history as the first openly transgender person nominated for a Primetime Emmy, starred in a range of high-profile shows, and became the first transgender person to win a Daytime Emmy as executive producer on Laverne Cox Presents: The T Word. A red-carpet fashion icon, podcast host, and fearless advocate, she uses her stardom to champion LGBTQ+ rights, whether on Hollywood’s biggest stages, her personal channels, or at Supreme Court hearings. And she’s only getting started.
In Transcendent, you will experience life in Laverne’s shoes, from her childhood abuse to making her big break, dealing with Hollywood bureaucracy, feeling lonely in a world that is unaccepting, and finding her voice through the chaos of it all. With behind-the-scenes stories and personal reflection, we can heal and fight for equality, right alongside Laverne.
About The Reader
Laverne Cox is an Emmy-winning actress, producer, and LGBTQ+ advocate best known for her role as Sophia Burset on Orange Is the New Black, which made her the first openly transgender person nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award. Born in Mobile, Alabama, she studied at the Alabama School of Fine Arts before pursuing acting in New York City. Cox has been a trailblazer for transgender representation in media, using her platform to advocate for trans rights and visibility. She made history again as the first transgender person to win a Daytime Emmy as an executive producer for Laverne Cox Presents: The T Word. Beyond acting, she is a sought-after speaker and activist, working to challenge discrimination and promote inclusivity. She is also host of her own podcast by iHeartRadio and Shondaland: The Laverne Cox Show. She resides in New York City.
Product Details
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio (June 9, 2026)
- Runtime: 9 hours and 56 minutes
- ISBN13: 9781668135860
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Raves and Reviews
"Cox delivers both the searing pain and deep beauty imbued in her life journey."
– —Winner of an Earphones Award, Kirkus
"The cudgel of gender conformity has never felt more visceral and brutal, more omnipresent and inescapable than in actor and activist Cox’s spellbinding memoir. Listeners will not be left unchanged by Cox’s courage in speaking her whole truth for the very first time. As narrator, Cox’s voice sometimes sounds armored, because this isn't Cox the performer, but Cox as a fiercely analytical intellectual as she examines how her life story embodies the intersection of gender, race, colonization, and patriarchy. Yes, listeners will hear about her fun rise to fame, which included working with film idols like Jodie Foster, but it is her relationship with the work of feminist icon and scholar bell hooks that informs the backbone of this intelligent, remarkable memoir."
– —Winner of an Earphones Award, Kirkus
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