Makeup megastar Nikkie de Jager has thanked supporters in her first video since publicly coming out as transgender, while showing restraint against the blackmailer who pushed her to make the video in the first place.
The Dutch YouTuber this morning uploaded footage of her “makeup therapy” session, saying there’s been “so much positivity, it’s been so crazy and absolutely surreal, seeing the world respond to me and welcoming me with open arms, and showing me nothing but love and respect.”
After giving a nod to the “bitter Betsies” who objected to her announcement, de Jager turned to the fan-led effort to uncover the identity of her blackmailer.
“To be honest, I don’t think that’s your story to tell,” de Jager said,
“If anyone is gonna have the right to tell more about these blackmailers, it’s gonna be me. How I deal with this situation and what information I would like to share, at the end of the day, is my story.”
For the time being, at least, her response to her blackmailer is simple: mercy.
“I feel like everyone who does something wrong should be punished, but after all of the responses these past couple of weeks, and literally being worldwide news, I know now that comes with the greatest responsibility I’ve ever had in my life,” she said.
“I know this is going to sound so stupid and weird, but with this platform we have right here, I have the power to destroy a life.”
de Jager questioned the ethics of blasting his name to her 13 million followers, saying “if I out this person, am I gonna be doing the same as this person did to me?”
Tellingly, de Jager acknowledged her decision to keep that information private came from a position of privilege – one that many of her followers and other members of the trans community can’t always expect.
“If you’re not in the position to take back your power, you need to seek help from police, friends, family,” she said.
“Like I said, nobody should get away with blackmailing, ever.”
Instead of shrinking from the spotlight after the initial video, de Jager said she’s keen to see what comes next. After all, she’s no longer just YouTube star NikkieTutorials, she’s a new voice of positivity and resilience in the trans community.
“I’m gonna have to find out what my role is gonna be in this world, and what my message is gonna be,” de Jager said, cosmetics brush in hand.
“But one message will always remain: and that is that I truly believe in the power of makeup.”
Her final look was a mix of pink, blue, and white, the colours of the transgender flag.
If you’d like to talk about the issues raised in this story, you can call the QLife LGBTI peer support hotline on 1800 184 527 or chat online.
QLife operates between between 3pm and midnight daily.
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