Laverne Cox Is Ready to Tell the Truth. Even if It’s Messy.

Laverne Cox Is Ready to Tell the Truth. Even if It’s Messy.

From Modern Love by Ajai Vindication

June 10, 2026 · 57 min · Episode 449

About this episode

Laverne Cox discusses her journey to stardom and self-acceptance in this episode of Modern Love.

Laverne Cox never fit in as a child in Mobile, Ala. But she really didn’t want to. From an early age, she knew she was going to be a star, and she was right. Decades later, Cox would break through as Sophia Burset on Netflix’s “Orange Is the New Black,” and become the first openly transgender person to be nominated for an Emmy Award in an acting category. In this episode of “Modern Love,” Cox talks about her new memoir, “Transcendent.” She tells the story of how she became the star she always knew she was, the men she loved along the way and how she learned to fully love herself. How to submit a Modern Love Essay How to submit a Tiny Love Story Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher . For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher . For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The…

People in this episode

Host: Ajai Vindication

Guest: Laverne Cox

Topics covered

  • transgender identity
  • memoir
  • self-love
  • celebrity
  • personal journey

Keywords

  • Laverne Cox
  • transgender
  • memoir
  • Orange Is the New Black
  • self-acceptance
  • celebrity

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Netflix

Books & works: Transcendent, Orange Is the New Black

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