Laverne Cox, the Emmy-nominated actress and longtime advocate for transgender rights, has announced the release of her first memoir, Transcendent. The book will be published by Gallery books and is scheduled to come out on June 9, 2026.
The memoir will follow Cox’s life from her childhood to her rise in Hollywood. In the announcement, she said the book tells the full story of her journey which started in Mobile, Alabama where she was born and raised, her struggles, and personal growth. She described writing the memoir as an emotional process but she wanted to share both the difficult and joyful parts of her life.
Transcendent will explore Cox’s early struggles with gender identity, bullying, depression, and self-worth. It will also look at her early years in New York City, where she worked long hours while trying to build a career in entertainment. Her memoir will include stories from her seven years at a drag-restaurant where she faced setbacks and kept pushing on.
Cox’s big break happened after she was cast as Sophia Burset on Netflix’s Orange is the New Black. Her performance earned her major recognition and earned her a nomination for a Primetime Emmy, the first for an openly transgender person in an acting category.
Since her success, she’s used her platform to speak about equality and representation, being the voice of transgender people. She hopes that the memoir will offer readers an honest look at her life and see the experiences that have shaped her.
Transcendent is now available for pre-order with hardcover and digital formats released next year.
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