Former WWE talent Gabbi Tuft came out as a transgender woman on Thursday.
And the next day the 42-year-old – who wrestled under the ring name Tyler Reks – talked to Extra about her experience.
The star revealed that she has not been sexually active with her wife Priscilla after being married for almost 20 years.
Out and proud: Retired WWE wrestler Gabbi Tuft has come out as a transgender woman
And the icon – whose wife was by his side during the Extra interview – also shared what it was like to be intimate with Priscilla.
‘It’s been a very interesting … progression,’ said Tuft after noting that Priscilla had a hard time with it.
‘Our intimate life has changed quite a bit,’ she added. ‘We’re not active in that way right now, and what we’ve discovered is a whole different part of our relationship.’
Tuft then shared: ‘We actually don’t have partners outside of the relationship at all. I was a virgin when we got married 18 and a half years ago — we had never kissed. Our first kiss was on our wedding day.’
And Tuft said it has not been smooth making the transition.
New life: The star revealed that she has not been sexually active with her wife Priscilla after being married for almost 20 years
Freed: ‘She has been finally set free and ready to rule her world,’ the press release explained
‘There was a lot of very difficult, traumatic emotion in trying to figure out how I was going to present myself to the world,’ she said. ‘Having Priscilla by my side as a huge support has changed that. And she has been such a rock for me.’
They have also talked to daughter Mia, nine.
‘It’s an ongoing conversation,’ she said. ‘… I told her, “Sweetheart, I’m not going to go out in public right now and go outside,” and she goes, “Why, daddy?”
Tuft said, ‘I’m afraid that people might make fun of me and it might affect you.’
Family: She touched on her role as a parent and a spouse in posts Tuesday and Wednesday, sharing photos with wife-of-18-years Priscilla and their daughter Mia, nine
Hard to do: ‘There was a lot of very difficult, traumatic emotion in trying to figure out how I was going to present myself to the world,’ she said. ‘Having Priscilla by my side as a huge support has changed that. And she has been such a rock for me’
And then the child leaned over and gave Tuft ‘the biggest hug.’ The child added, ‘Daddy, I will never make fun of you.’
‘When I was 10 … when my parents weren’t home, I would sneak into my mom’s closet and try out her clothes and it just felt right,’ said the athlete.
Tuft ‘suppressed’ what she felt she felt she would not be accepted: ‘So I pushed it down as far as I could.’
On Thursday her rep said: ‘Gabbi is about to share her thrilling story of gender transitioning from a former WWE Superstar, Body Builder, Fitness Guru, Motivational Speaker and Motorcycle Racer to a fun loving and fabulous female. She has been finally set free and ready to rule her world.’
The release continued: ‘Despite his successes during and after his WWE career, Gabe was still wrestling with a secret persona dwelling deep within him. This is a persona he has been hiding in the loud silence of his soul since childhood,’ the release continues.
‘Finally, with the blessing of his loving wife Priscilla, Gabe is ready to reveal who he really is. ‘He’ is now known as ‘She’: A beautiful, wise, witty and wonderful woman called ‘Gabbi.’
‘This is a story that wrestling and other sports fans, friends and followers must not miss, especially many in the LGBTQ community dealing with challenging transgender issues, who Gabbi and [wife] Priscilla are willing to help,’ the release goes on.
In character: The 42-year-old fitness guru professionally wrestled under the ring name Tyler Reks from 2007 to 2014
Countdown: Gabbi teased the tell-all Extra interview while opening up on Instagram Thursday, sharing an extreme close-up of her face and writing: ‘**1 day remaining**’
It seems Gabbi had intended to reveal the news on Friday on Extra, but she took to Instagram to address the early revelation Thursday, sharing a photo of herself beaming and posing in front of an old wrestling photo as she shared her new, authentic look.
‘The ball dropped early today as this is now worldwide news,’ Tuft shared.
‘This is me. Unashamed, unabashedly me. This is the side of me that has hidden in the shadows, afraid and fearful of what the world would think; afraid of what my family, friends, and followers would say or do.
‘I am no longer afraid and I am no longer fearful. I can now say with confidence, that I love myself for WHO I am.
‘The previous eight months have been some of the darkest of my entire life. The emotional turmoil of being transgender and having to face the world has almost ended me on multiple occasions.
‘However, the day I stopped caring about what other people thought, was the day I truly became limitless and allowed my authentic self to come into the light.
‘My loving wife, family, and closest friends have accepted me for who I am. To them, I am forever grateful. Your support along the way means more than you will ever know.
Another statement: Gabbi also shared a press release on her Instagram that explained more
‘I don’t expect everyone to agree or understand. It’s not my place to change any of your core beliefs. Just know that the outer shell may change, but the soul remains the same,’ said the San Francisco-born wrestling star.
‘I know that many of you have questions and, as I have promised, they will all be answered. Tomorrow, on Extra, my interview with Billy Bush airs worldwide. I have included a link in the bio to this interview along with my personal coming out video that explains everything (waiting for Instagram to approve my name change and update the bio – please see my story for the link in the meantime). ‘
‘I promise to always be transparent and truthful with my journey, and to be a light to those that are in need.’
Info: She shared a glam selfie and urged fans to check out her LinkTree for more information about her interviews and online ventures
‘This is me. Love always, Gabbi Alon Tuft,’ she signed off.
Gabbi teased her reveal earlier in the day, sharing an extreme close-up of her face and writing: ‘**1 day remaining**’
”When you are ready to show all of your cards, there will be nothing left to fear.’ Time’s up,’ she continued.
‘I am no longer afraid. Fear has been replaced with the highest vibrational state of gratitude.
‘I am grateful for my past, for who I started this life as, for who I was, for who I am now, and for who I am becoming.
‘Tomorrow, I close this book of my life and begin a new one. My hope is that the last nine days of this countdown have helped you reflect on things not of material nature…but rather on the non-physical aspects of life that create what we call the human experience.
‘I hope along the way you have felt emotions that you have forgotten, felt the power of your heart energy, and have searched your soul for truths untold.
‘Tomorrow the ace drops. Tomorrow I start a new book of life,’ she went on. ‘Tomorrow, I invite you to share and celebrate this monumental moment with me.’
She touched on her role as a parent and a spouse in posts Tuesday and Wednesday, sharing photos with wife-of-18-years Priscilla and their daughter Mia, nine.
Tuft’s professional wrestling career spanned from 2007 to 2014, boasting appearances at Smackdown, Raw and Wrestlemania.
She created a fitness company called Body Spartan with wife Priscilla after retiring, which focuses on ‘positively transform the body, mind and spirit of men and women through targeted video workouts, nutritional programs and motivational sessions.’