Nikkie Tutorials, real name Nikkie de Jager, came out as transgender on Monday in an emotional video posted to her YouTube channel.
The 25-year-old Dutch YouTube influencer, who has millions of fans, posted a 17-minute video detailing her reasons for choosing now as the time to open up about her past.
Since she posted the video, which as of writing has 1.7 million likes and over 16 million views, her follower count has begun to soar. Social Blade, which is a website that tracks social media statistics and analytics, mostly on YouTube, but also on other social media sites, has recorded this spike in followers.
The figures show Nikkie’s subscribers remaining at a steady 12. 4 million throughout the first two weeks of January; however, on Monday, she gained over 200, 000 new followers.
As of 8:30 AM, EST, on Tuesday, she has already garnered an extra 100,000 more followers, according to Social Blade. She is now currently sat on 12.7 million followers, and we can expect that figure to go up even further.
Nikkie has become one of YouTube’s most influential voices when it comes to the online beauty community. Her make-up tutorials and reviews have been impressing fans for 11 years now, and she has collaborated with celebrities, including Lady Gaga.
In the video posted, Nikkie says that while she was born a male, she has always identified as female. She started wearing her hair long from the age of 6 and was wearing only female clothing from 7 or 8. She began taking hormones and growth suppressors in her early teens and was fully transitioned by age 19.
Nikkie continued by saying that people were threatening to leak the news to the press, so she decided to take back control of the situation and reveal her past. In the video, she holds up her middle finger to the blackmailers, “this one’s for you,” she tells them.
She finishes up the video by expressing hope that her actions may help and inspire others.
She has received praise for her bravery from various Dutch politicians, fans, other YouTubers, and the LGBT community.