Laverne Cox's Memoir 'Transcendent' Out Tomorrow — Reveals Childhood Trauma
Laverne Cox has told her story on her own terms — and it's more powerful than anyone expected.
"Transcendent" — the debut memoir from Emmy-winning actress and activist Laverne Cox — publishes on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, and the revelations inside have already made headlines before a single copy hits shelves. Cox, 54, sat down with People magazine ahead of the release to discuss what she calls the most vulnerable thing she has ever done professionally.
What 'Transcendent' Reveals — Laverne Cox's Untold Story
The memoir traces Cox's journey from a childhood in Mobile, Alabama marked by poverty, bullying, and two traumatic experiences she has never spoken about publicly until now.
A suicide attempt at age 11: Cox reveals she attempted suicide as a child by swallowing her mother's pills after years of emotional pain, isolation, and the weight of knowing she was different from the world around her. She survived without telling anyone. "If someone finds this out about me, I'll never be worthy of love," Cox recalled thinking — describing the shame she carried through her childhood and into adulthood.
Sexual assault at age 13: Cox writes about being sexually assaulted by two older boys in a church bathroom. She describes revisiting the memory while writing the memoir as "emotionally difficult" — but ultimately necessary. She defines shame as "the belief that a person is unworthy of connection or belonging" — and says writing the book was an act of reclaiming her own narrative.
Despite the trauma, Cox writes that dance and education became lifelines during her most difficult years — the foundation on which she eventually built a career that broke barriers no one had broken before.
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Laverne Cox's Career — Why This Memoir Matters
Before the memoir, before the activism, before the TIME magazine cover — Cox spent years navigating poverty, depression, and rejection while pursuing an acting career in New York City. The story of how she got from Mobile, Alabama to Orange Is the New Black is, by her own account, far more gruelling than the awards-season narrative ever suggested.
Cox is the first openly transgender person to receive a Primetime Emmy nomination in an acting category — for her role as Sophia Burset in Orange Is the New Black in 2014. She went on to receive four Emmy nominations for the role. In the same year, she became the first transgender person on the cover of TIME magazine.
She also holds the distinction of being the first transgender person to win a Daytime Emmy Award — as executive producer of the documentary Laverne Cox Presents: The T Word.
"Transcendent" arrives at a moment of particular political hostility toward transgender people in the United States. Cox has been explicit that she hopes the book will resonate especially with trans readers who feel unseen or discouraged.
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Where to Find Laverne Cox This Week
Cox is in full promotional mode ahead of Tuesday's release:
- The View (ABC) — appearing this week to discuss the memoir
- Lifelong's Inaugural Pride Gala (Seattle, June 13) — receiving the Lifelong Pride in Action Award from Angelica Ross for her advocacy work
- Available for interviews through her publisher
"Transcendent" is available in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook — with Cox narrating the audiobook herself.
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Key Takeaways
- Laverne Cox's debut memoir "Transcendent" publishes June 9, 2026.
- Cox reveals a suicide attempt at age 11 and sexual assault at age 13 — sharing publicly for the first time.
- The memoir traces her journey from poverty and trauma in Mobile, Alabama to breaking barriers in Hollywood.
- Cox is the first transgender person to receive a Primetime Emmy acting nomination, win a Daytime Emmy, and appear on the cover of TIME.
- She appears on The View this week and receives an honor at Seattle's Pride Gala on June 13.
- Available in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook — Cox narrates the audiobook herself.
