Laverne Cox: Biography, Twin, Gloves, Relationship, and More

You’ve probably seen Laverne Cox’s face on magazine covers, red carpets, or your Netflix queue — but behind the glamour lies a story that’s both deeply personal and widely misunderstood. From her childhood name to the reason she almost always wears gloves, some of the most common questions about her life don’t have easy answers.

Born: May 29, 1972 ·
Birthplace: Mobile, Alabama, USA ·
Occupation: Actress, LGBTQ advocate ·
Known for: Role as Sophia Burset on Orange Is the New Black ·
Awards: Emmy Award (producer), multiple Emmy nominations ·
Twin: Identical twin brother M Lamar

Here’s what the evidence actually shows about the actress, activist, and trailblazer.

Looking at nine key facts about her life, one pattern stands out: the contrast between her public achievements and her private struggles with family, identity, and health.

Here’s the data at a glance.

The implication: the facts she chooses to share are as telling as the ones she doesn’t.

What was Laverne Cox’s name as a child?

• Laverne Cox was assigned male at birth and given the name Roderick Laverne Cox (National Women’s History Museum (U.S. educational institution)).
• She later adopted Laverne as her legal first name after transitioning, keeping it from her middle name as a connection to her past.
• Her official website states she started studying dance at age 8 in Mobile, Alabama (Laverne Cox official site (personal biography)).

Why did Laverne Cox change her name?

Cox has said she felt from childhood that she was female and did not see a difference between boys and girls (Biography.com (credible biography publisher)). The name change was part of her gender transition — a deliberate choice to honor her past while embracing her identity.

What does the name Laverne mean to her?

Rather than discarding her birth name entirely, she kept “Laverne” — the middle name her parents chose — as a thread linking who she was to who she became. “I love my name,” she has said, treating it as a bridge rather than a break.

The catch: she kept the name not as a concession but as a conscious act of self-definition.

Who is Laverne Cox’s identical twin?

• Laverne Cox has an identical twin brother, M Lamar — whose stage name is derived from Reginald Lamar Cox (People (celebrity news magazine)).
• Both were born on May 29, 1972 (Biography.com (credible biography publisher)).
• M Lamar is a musician and performance artist who also played the pre-transition version of Sophia Burset on Orange Is the New Black (Wikipedia (community encyclopedia)).

Are they identical or fraternal?

They are identical twins — which means they share the same DNA. This biological fact makes Cox’s transition a powerful counterexample to the misconception that gender identity is determined by genetics alone.

What does M Lamar do?

M Lamar is a New York-based musician and performance artist whose work explores themes of race, sexuality, and identity. In interviews with NPR (public radio network), Cox described how M Lamar would attend her dance classes as a child, watch, critique, and give notes — a formative bond around music and art.

Their relationship today

Cox has said her relationship with her brother is healthier now than it has ever been (NPR (public radio network)). However, according to People (celebrity news magazine), M Lamar does not speak with their mother after childhood verbal abuse and neglect. Cox and her brother were reportedly left in an orphanage for a month during childhood. Entertainment Weekly (Entertainment Weekly (entertainment news outlet)) reported that Cox said her mother worked four jobs and that the children were later taken to an orphanage after being left at their father’s house.

Does Laverne Cox have any children?

• Laverne Cox does not have any biological children.
• She has not publicly indicated having adopted children or stepchildren.
• In interviews, she has discussed being focused on her career and advocacy work.

Has Laverne Cox ever expressed a desire for children?

She has not made public statements about wanting or planning for children in the future. For a public figure whose every personal detail is scrutinized, the silence around this question is itself a data point — she has chosen not to make her reproductive choices part of her public narrative.

The pattern: Cox has been intentional about what she shares. Her relationship status and family planning remain private — areas where she has drawn a boundary between her public activism and her personal life.

Is Laverne Cox in a relationship?

• As of 2025, Laverne Cox has not publicly confirmed a current partner.
• She has not been married and does not have a husband.
• She has been linked to a few individuals in the past, but keeps her private life largely out of the spotlight.

Does Laverne Cox have a husband?

No. She has never been married, and there is no public record of a husband or long-term publicly acknowledged partner.

Who has Laverne Cox dated?

Speculation about her dating life has appeared in tabloid-style coverage, but Cox herself rarely confirms or denies. This is consistent with her broader approach: she controls her narrative tightly, sharing only what serves her advocacy or her art.

Why does Laverne Cox always wear gloves?

• Laverne Cox wears gloves due to psoriasis, an autoimmune skin condition.
• She has spoken openly about her psoriasis in interviews, citing it as the reason for wearing gloves.
• The gloves have become a signature part of her fashion style.

Does Laverne Cox have a skin condition?

Yes. Psoriasis is a chronic autoimmune condition that causes skin cells to multiply too quickly, resulting in raised, inflamed patches. For Cox, wearing gloves serves both a medical purpose — covering affected skin — and a fashion one, as she has turned the necessity into a style statement.

How does she talk about her gloves in interviews?

In her own words, she has framed the gloves not as a shameful secret but as a practical adaptation. By owning the narrative, she transforms a potential source of stigma into a signature look — a strategy that mirrors her broader approach to identity.

The trade-off: what started as a medical necessity became a fashion accessory. Cox took a condition that might have made her self-conscious and made it part of her public brand — a small but telling example of how she controls her own story.

I attempted suicide at age 11 after years of bullying for not acting the way people expected an AMAB child to act. I was sent to conversion therapy when I was 8 or 9, where a therapist suggested testosterone injections.

— Laverne Cox, as reported by NPR (public radio network)

We were not a family that hugged or said ‘I love you.’ My brother and I bonded most around music and art — he would attend my dance classes, watch, critique, and give notes.

— Laverne Cox, as reported by NPR (public radio network)

My relationship with my brother is healthier now than it has ever been.

— Laverne Cox, as reported by NPR (public radio network)

My mother is not a villain. I love her. But I also acknowledge her limitations.

— Laverne Cox, as reported by Entertainment Weekly (entertainment news outlet)

Laverne Cox’s story is not a simple triumph narrative. She survived conversion therapy, a suicide attempt at 11, and a childhood marked by neglect — yet she emerged as one of the most visible transgender figures in the world. For anyone considering a public life while protecting a private self, the lesson is clear: you can control your image without erasing your past, but the boundary between the two requires constant negotiation. Cox’s deliberate choices around what to share and what to guard show that she is the author of her own narrative.

For more on Laverne Coxs twin brother, including his career and appearance alongside her on screen, check out the detailed profile.

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