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Elliot Page's ABC News Interview EXCLUSIVE Preview
Elliot Page is reflecting connected a hard section successful his beingness story.
The Umbrella Academy star, who came retired arsenic transgender successful 2020, opened up astir his past struggles with sex dysphoria in E! News' exclusive look at The Freedom to Exist with Elliot Page: A Soul of a Nation Presentation, an ABC News Pride Month peculiar centered astir the trans community and airing June 6.
Recalling however his assemblage started to alteration during puberty, the 36-year-old said that was the play during which helium besides began "feeling a grade of discomfort that was precise erosive and damaging."
"I don't deliberation I, adjacent astatine that point, had astir apt adjacent heard the connection 'transgender,'" Page shared. "If it did travel up, it would beryllium concisely successful wellness people with past the dependable of laughter."
To marque matters worse, the histrion said helium was heavy bullied astatine schoolhouse during that time, adding to the interior "shame" and the feelings of "self-disgust."
"I think with sex dysphoria, it's being assigned a sex astatine commencement based connected your genitalia," helium continued, "and that being the world of not who you are—and the incongruence and disconnect with that—just continues to spot distant astatine you."
Page said his interior turmoil implicit sex identity "especially became complicated" erstwhile helium recovered fame successful Hollywood. While struggling to consciousness comfy successful dresses, the Juno alum remembered however "people would conscionable go, 'You're an actor. Just enactment connected the f--king clothes.'"
"But needless to say," he added, "it was overmuch much than that."
In the past, Page has been unfastened astir his journey, including his battles with depression, anxiousness and panic attacks earlier transitioning. While he's acknowledges that country isn't indispensable for immoderate successful the transgender community, helium antecedently shared that undergoing apical surgery drastically improved his self-esteem.
"Getting retired of the ablution and the towel's astir your waist and you're looking astatine yourself successful the reflector and you're conscionable like, 'There I am,'" he told Oprah Winfrey in a 2021 interview. "It's being capable to interaction my thorax and consciousness comfy successful my assemblage for astir apt the archetypal time."
Earlier this month, Page looked backmost connected however his struggles with sex dysphoria "used to beryllium particularly rife successful the summer" arsenic helium tried to hid his assemblage successful layers and oversized T-shirts.
Instagram / Elliot Page
"It feels truthful f'ing bully soaking successful the prima now," helium captioned a shirtless selfie. "I ne'er thought I could acquisition this, the joyousness I consciousness successful my body."
The Freedom to Exist with Elliot Page: A Soul of a Nation Presentation airs June 6 connected ABC and the adjacent time connected Hulu. Page's memoir Pageboy also drops June 6.
Watch E! News weeknights Monday done Thursday astatine 11 p.m., lone connected E!.
