Gigi Gorgeous

Giselle Loren Lazzarato Getty[2][3] (born April 20, 1992),[3] known professionally as Gigi Gorgeous, is a Canadian YouTuber, socialite, actress, and model.

Gigi Gorgeous
Lazzarato speaking at the Trans Day of Visibility celebration in San Francisco, March 2017
Born (1992-04-20) April 20, 1992[1]
Montréal, Québec, Canada
Other namesGigi Lazzarato
EducationIona Catholic Secondary School
Alma materGeorge Brown College (dropped out)
Occupation
  • YouTuber
  • model
  • actress
Years active2008–present
AgentSelect Management Group (LA)
Spouse(s)
(
m. 2019)
YouTube information
Channel
Years active2008–present
GenreFashion, makeup, vlogs
Subscribers2.87 million
Total views496.97 million
100,000 subscribers 2012
1,000,000 subscribers 2014
Updated 22 June 2020

In 2008, Lazzarato began uploading video blogs onto streaming platform YouTube. Her videos achieved popularity and established an online following for her. During the following years, she uploaded regularly to her channel along with creating and starring in the reality program The Avenue (2011–13). Following a brief hiatus, Lazzarato gained media attention after coming out as a transgender woman in 2013.[4][5] During 2014, Lazzarato documented her transition through her social media profiles, notably through her videos revolving around her cosmetic procedures, which obtained viral status. In 2016, an incident involving Lazzarato being deported from Dubai because of her status as a transgender woman, resulted in widespread media coverage. Lazzarato was the subject of This is Everything: Gigi Gorgeous (2017), a Barbara Kopple-directed documentary that followed her life during her transition. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and went on to have a limited theatrical release and several accolades including a Streamy.

Besides her personality work, Lazzarato has dabbled in acting and modeling work. Her performance credits include starring in fellow YouTuber Shane Dawson's short film I Hate Myselfie (2015) and its sequel, along with guest appearances in television series Project Runway All Stars, Me and My Grandma, Good Work, and Trailblazers, amongst others. Through modeling, she has appeared on the covers of Paper and FASHION, been featured in spreads for Galore, Kode, Refinery29, and Out and served as a frequent muse of August Getty Atelier. In 2019 she authored the book He Said, She Said: Lessons, Stories, and Mistakes From My Transgender Journey.

Early life

Lazzarato is the child of David, a business executive,[6] and Judith Lazzarato (née Belding). Her family consists of Italian, Lebanese, English and French heritage and she was raised in the Roman Catholic faith.[1][7][8]

As a young adult, Lazzarato was a nationally ranked diving champion.[7][9][10] She attended St. Francis of Assisi School and later Mississauga's Iona Catholic Secondary School[11] and attended George Brown College. At George Brown, she studied fashion, but eventually left the college to focus on her YouTube career. Her mother, Judith, died of leukemia on February 3, 2012, at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto.[12]

Career

2008–13: Beginnings on YouTube

Prior to her transition, Lazzarato was known as Gregory or Greg, and operated a makeup tutorial YouTube channel that began in 2008 while she was an eleventh grader, when a friend mentioned seeing a makeup video by Michelle Phan on YouTube.[13] At the age of 16 she came out, identifying as a gay male.[14][15] Since her transition, her YouTube channel started to include more vlogs, fashion, and lifestyle videos.[16][17]

On January 18, 2011, Lazzarato announced The Avenue, a YouTube-based reality series that was going to star in. The show premiered on March 15 of that year on YouTube with distribution by Blip. The show’s last episode aired on April 14, 2013.

2014–16: Gender transition and appearances

Lazzarato was awarded the LogoTV Trailblazing Social Creator Award in 2014 for her advocacy on behalf of LGBT youth. She frequently attends BeautyCon conventions to meet with fans and sit in on panels about makeup techniques and the cosmetics industry.[18] She modeled for designer Marco Marco, and walked in the 2014 and 2015 Marco Marco Fashion Shows.[19]

Lazzarato has used her internet celebrity status to bring awareness to transgender issues, the LGBT community, and anti-bullying.[20][21] Her image was featured in a montage of transgender celebrities in the ABC 20/20 documentary about Caitlyn Jenner's transition.[22][23]

In October 2014, Lazzarato began dating Cory Binney. They met at a club and started dating from then on. They were on and off and broke up in around May or June 2015 which inspired one of Lazzarato’s most viewed videos titled “Single Life (My Break Up”) which is a music video to “What the Hell” by Avril Lavigne. It is now one of her top 5 most viewed videos of all time with 7.5 million views. Lazzarato and Binney got back together a month later before officially splitting in November 2015.

In early 2015, Lazzarato starred in fellow YouTuber Shane Dawson's debut short film I Hate Myselfie as Amber. She said she looked to Rachel McAdams' portrayal of Regina George in Mean Girls (2004), while playing Amber. She has since reprised her role as Amber in I Hate Myselfie 2.[24]

In June 2015, it was announced that Lazzarato had teamed up with singer Miley Cyrus and had joined Cyrus' Happy Hippie Foundation's Marie Claire "#InstaPride" campaign.[25] The campaign included a series of photos and an announcement by Cyrus that she and Lazzarato were working on a secret project. The project later turned out to be a spread in American magazine Marie Claire featuring them both.[26][27] Lazzarato signed a partnership with 'Too Faced Cosmetics' in which she starred in the cosmetic commercial film "Better Than Sex" which premiered on July 9, 2015. At the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards Lazzarato, along with a group of drag queens, introduced Miley Cyrus for her debut performance of Dooo It! from Cyrus's new album Miley Cyrus and her Dead Petz.

In September 2015, Lazzarato had a two-page spread in People magazine.[28] She appeared on Entertainment Tonight as a special guest that same month.[29] Lazzarato was featured in Kylie Jenner's app "Kylie" where she filmed several make up tip videos.[30] On September 18, she won the Streamy Award for "Best Beauty Series".[31] It was announced on October 7 that Lazzarato would star in Adam Lambert's video for his song "Another Lonely Night".[32][33]

2016: Dubai incident

On August 9, 2016, Lazzarato was detained in the United Arab Emirates and had her passport taken by airport officials and immigration officers at the Dubai International Airport. She was denied entry in to Dubai for being a transgender woman, as the government does not recognize her gender as legitimate even though, according to Lazzarato, the gender on her passport states female and not male.[34] The "imitation of women by men" is illegal in the UAE, and violators can face up to a year in jail.[35] Lazzarato was released after being detained for five hours.[36][37]

The "#JusticeForGigi" hashtag surfaced on Twitter, with fans and supporters calling for Lazzarato's release and a reform in anti-LGBTQ laws.[38] It was not the first time a transgender person was detained in Dubai. In 2014, two Brazilian transgender women were also detained and had their passports taken.[39] Lazzarato, before leaving Dubai for Sweden, responded to the incident by calling for equality and legal protections for LGBTQ people.[40]

2017–present: Continued success, This is Everything

In January 2017, the documentary This Is Everything: Gigi Gorgeous, starring Lazzarato, directed by Barbara Kopple premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.[41] On June 11, Gorgeous watched the documentary with Katy Perry on Perry's four-day livestream event, Katy Perry Live: Witness World Wide.

In June 2017, Lazzarato was named to the Time Magazine list of the 25 most influential people on the Internet.[42]

In 2019 Lazzarato published her memoir, titled He Said, She Said: Lessons, Stories, and Mistakes From My Transgender Journey.[43][44] In October 2019 Lazzarato announced that she has a makeup collection coming out with Ipsy in November 2019. The collection has various beauty products related to makeup.

Personal life

In October 2014 Lazzarato began dating Cory Binney, the half-brother of drag queen Alaska Thunderfuck. They met at a club and started dating from then on. They were on and off and broke up in around May or June 2015 which inspired one of Lazzarato’s most viewed videos titled “Single Life (My Break Up”) which is a music video to “What the Hell” by Avril Lavigne. It is now one of her top 5 most viewed videos of all time with 7.5 million views. They got back together in July 2015 before officially breaking up in November 2015. [45] [46] Lazzarato, who had previously identified as bisexual,[47] came out as lesbian in a YouTube video on September 14, 2016.[48] Lazzarato began dating Nats Getty, an heiress and member of the Getty family, shortly after meeting her at Paris Fashion Week while working as a model for Getty's brother, August Getty.[49] In March 2018 Getty proposed to Lazzarato at the Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte in France.[50] On July 12, 2019 Lazzarato and Getty married in a private ceremony at Rosewood Miramar Beach in Montecito, California.[51] Guests at the wedding included Ariadne Getty, Caitlyn Jenner, Teri Hatcher, Moj Mahdara, Justin Tranter, Bonnie McKee, Grace Helbig, Hannah Hart, and Trisha Paytas.[52] The couple were given toasts by Katy Perry, Orlando Bloom, and Governor Gavin Newsom of California.[52]

Lazzarato is a practicing Roman Catholic and describes herself as religious.[53]

Transition

Lazzarato announced that she was a transgender woman in December 2013. Since then she has undergone electrolysis, tracheal shave, hormone replacement therapy, facial feminization surgery, rhinoplasty, and breast augmentation.[54] She legally had her name changed to Giselle Loren Lazzarato on March 8, 2014.[3]

In a September 2015 issue of People Magazine, Lazzarato credited transgender model and performing artist Amanda Lepore and her mother's death for sparking her transition.[55]

Filmography

Film
Key
Indicates a film or show appearance that has not yet been released.
Year Title Role Notes Refs.
2015
 I Hate Myselfie Amber Short film [56]
Better Than Sex Gigi Short film [57]
I Hate Myselfie 2 Amber Short film [58]
2017 This is Everything: Gigi Gorgeous Herself Documentary [41]

Television
Year Title Notes Refs.
2009 The Campus Lead role; 7 episodes
2010 MTV'S The After Show [59]
2011–
13		 The Avenue Lead role; 21 episodes
2013–
15		 Celebrity Style Story Host; 13 episodes
2013 The Listener Episode: "The Blue Line" [56]
Project Runway All Stars Episode: "#Nina'sTrending" [56]
2014 Trailblazers Award ceremony [56]
PopSugar TV Episode: "Talks Beauty Tips and Fashion At BeautyCon LA"
2015 About Bruce TV Special
Good Work [56]
Access Hollywood 3 episodes
Daily Share [60]
MTV Video Music Award Award ceremony
Entertainment Tonight
VH1's Streamy Awards Award ceremony
FOX News 1 episode [61]
The Marco Marco Show Recurring role; 3 episodes
Beauty TV Episode: "Glowing with Gigi Gorgeous
Bro'Laska Episode: "Cory's Tips for Getting Swole"
What's Trending Episode: "Gigi Gorgeous Talks Trans Rights and LGBT Equality" [62]
Help, My Face Is Fucked! Recurring guest; 4 episodes
PerezHiltonTV Episode: "Behind The Scenes of Gigi Gorgeous' Photoshoot"
GLSEN Respect Awards Award ceremony
2016 Gigi Gorgeous's Love Letter
Nightcap Episode: "The Horny Host" as Herself [63]
American Music Awards Award ceremony
Thread of Man Documentary short
2017 Me and My Grandma Episode: "Elderboo"
Access Hollywood Guest appearance
Shane and Friends Episode: "Gigi Gorgeous"
Daily Pop Guest appearance
Not Too Deep with Grace Helbig Episode: "Gigi Gorgeous"
Katy Perry Live: Witness World Wide House guest
Last Week Episode: "Last Week I Snuggled Puppers"
2018 Undivided Attention Host
2020 Upload Vogue interviewer

Music videos
Year Title Artist Role Notes
2015 "Another Lonely Night" Adam Lambert Priestess
2019 "Do Not Disturb" Steve Aoki, Bella Thorne The Countess
"God Control" Madonna Herself

Awards
Year Category Award Recipient Result
2014 Trailblazing Social Creator Logo TV Awards
Herself
 Won
2015 Best Beauty Series Streamy Awards
2016 Best Beauty Series Nominated
2017 Youtuber of the Year Shorty Awards Won
Best Feature Streamy Awards This Is Everything
Best Documentary Nominated
Most Compelling Living Subject of a Documentary Critics' Choice Awards
Herself
(for This Is Everything)
 Won
2019 United Award Streamy Awards
Herself
 Won
gollark: Again, if you're going to be consistent about this, then children are half of their parents, which sounds unreasonable.
gollark: Why?
gollark: Actually, not even "also", that seems to be approximately your proposal?
gollark: [REDACTED]
gollark: Anyway, unless you would also give parents property rights over their children's bodies, I don't think this matters very much.

References
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  2. Gigi Gorgeous (January 7, 2020). "Answering The Web's Most Searched Questions - Gigi" – via YouTube.
  3. "The Ontario Gazette" (PDF). 147-10. Ministry of Government Services. Queen's Printer for Ontario. March 8, 2014. p. 572. ISSN 0030-2937. Retrieved March 29, 2017.
  4. "Gender Reassignment Surgery: Gigi Gorgeous Shares Her Story "I Want To Be Female" -Video – MTF Breast Augmentation forum". Realself.com. March 9, 2015. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
  5. Klee, Miles (May 6, 2015). "How WCW Gigi Gorgeous has changed the trans community for the better". Dailydot.com. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
  6. Executive Profile: David A. Lazzarato. Independent Director, The Stars Group Inc. Bloomberg.com. Retrieved June 27, 2019.
  7. "Is Gigi Gorgeous America's Next Top Model?". The New York Times. April 14, 2016.
  8. Kristin Tice Studeman. "Trans YouTuber Gigi Gorgeous: Friends Learned About My Transition Through My Videos". Cosmopolitan.
  9. "2007 All Star Diving Challenge Orlando Florida".
  10. "CAMO Diving Invitational Underway In Montreal – Swimming World News". December 5, 2003.
  11. "Bustle". bustle.com.
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  13. Hoyer, Melissa (September 16, 2017). "Gigi Gorgeous on the future of vlogging and why she was embarrassed of her first videos". Vogue.
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