D. Smith says he will live and present as a man after spending the past 12 years publicly living as a transgender woman.
The former “Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta” star announced the change in an Instagram statement. Smith said the decision follows several months of personal change and reflection.
“For most of my life, I’ve followed my heart, even when the path wasn’t easy to understand,” Smith wrote. “Over the last twelve years, I lived my life publicly as a transgender woman. Those years weren’t a mistake. They were real. They introduced me to extraordinary people, profound experiences, and lessons that I will always carry with me forever.”
Smith then explained what will change as he moves forward.
“Over the past several months, I’ve begun a new chapter in my life,” he wrote. “Going forward, I’ll be living and presenting as a man and using he/him pronouns. This isn’t about erasing my past. Living my life as a woman for 12 years showed me the man that I wanted to become.”