This Is the Latest Trans Model You Need to Know

Sean Griffis
May 27, 2015

We’re already counting down the days until NYFW in September — and, nope, not *just* for the fashion. It’s because this year’s runways are guaranteed to be filled with more diverse/normal models than ever before thanks to the changing tide in widespread representation in the modeling world. The latest to join our must-watch model list is IMG’s just-announced model Hari Nef, who happens to be trans. From Andreja Pejic to Tess Holliday to now Hari, the runways and magazine covers are finally starting to look like the real world.

Hari Nef, an actress, writer and model is the latest to make headlines for all the right reasons. The recent grad (as in, last week recent grad) of Columbia University is only the second transgender model to sign with IMG, one of the top modeling agencies in the world. Joining the agency’s women’s talent roster, she has already been making impressive strides in the fashion world pre-pen to paper according to Fashionista. Her current resume includes walking for designers Adam Selman, Hood by Air and Eckhaus Latta, starring in a campaign for Selfridges and popping up on Dazed‘s 2015 100 List + Paper’s 2015 Beautiful People issue. Looks like we’ve got a new addition to our trans stars to know list <3

Not only is Hari joining one of the top modeling agencies in the world — with famous faces like Gigi Hadid — but IMG has one of the most diverse rosters as well. That lineup includes women in their 70s + 80s like Lauren Hutton and China Machado, along with Sports Illustrated‘s first featured plus-size model (and all-around babe) Ashley Graham. Let’s hope this is *just* the beginning.

Who do YOU want to see next on the catwalk or in the pages of a magazine?

(h/t Fashionista, photos via Michael Loccisano/Getty + @harinef)

Meet the Trans Military Vet Who’s Mentoring Trans Youth in America

Every Body celebrates inclusivity and the representation of human beings in every shape and form.

Giovonni Santiago, the 32-year-old activist based out of Akron, Ohio, has always been fighting. It has been a part of his DNA since spending time in the Air Force from 2006 to 2010. When Santiago was not fighting for his country, he was fighting for his own rights.

Until 2011, “Don’t ask, don’t tell” (DADT) was the official United States policy on LGBTQ+ identities within the military. While Santiago was not officially out as a transman while he served, he began his transition process while still in the Force.

What followed next were feelings of being bypassed by commanding officers and segregation from the rest of his unit. As a trans, Black individual, Santiago realized that something had to change; if his own experience wasn’t ideal, he could only imagine how it was for other transgender individuals in the military.

When a back injury forced him out of duty, Santiago found himself at a place where he could finally take action and speak out for those without a voice. He candidly shares that it was in early 2015 when he logged onto Facebook and read the news of a transgender teen who had committed suicide after being bullied. Though Santiago was well aware of the grim suicide rates among transgender people, at that moment he was so tired of seeing the same tragic narrative take place over and over that he thought to himself, “I have to do something about this.”

In the spring of 2016, he launched the META Center with the support of his friends and family. He explains, “I wanted people like to me to see that there is someone who’s just like them, whether it’s because I’m Black or brown, or whether it’s because I’m a veteran, or whether it’s because I’m just like a regular person, that [people who are] these things are capable.”

At the META Center, Santiago and his team mentor trans and gender-variant youth while offering families support and information as needed. The center, which works with up to 25 transgender youth in Akron, holds everything from social gatherings to support groups to give youth a chance to “fully connect” with other young people like themselves. He also hopes to be a grounding presence in their lives.

Beyond helping transgender youth, Santiago has not forgotten about his veterans. After undergoing a gender transition aided by VA medical support, he discovered that he was his doctor’s first transgender patient. At the beginning of 2014, that doctor asked him if he would feel comfortable speaking to a panel of doctors about transitioning and how to better serve trans veterans in general. After a year or so, a team approached Santiago and his doctor, Dr. Megan McNamara, about developing a program that would offer transgender support services to those in the military.

In November 2015, the G.I.V.E. Clinic opened its doors in Cleveland, Ohio and became the first transgender-specific Veterans Affairs clinic in the United States. The clinic provides treatments like hormone therapy and counseling to those who need it in a safe and secure environment. While Santiago is not there daily, he assisted with the launch and is proud that the clinic now sees 70 patients annually, even with President Trump having proposed a US military ban on the service of transgender men and women. (That ban, for now, has been blocked by federal judges.)

As transgender issues increasingly come to the forefront, Santiago says there’s still a lot of ground left to cover. For one, he would like to see more coverage and dialogue on trans people of color in the media. “You always see when they talk about trans people that they’re always white, mostly attractive, heteronormative trans people,” he observes. “That’s almost always the narrative, and I think that that is what the media still gets wrong in the local and national level. That’s the problem we have to fix.”

For now, he will continue to do his part in making considerable groundwork for transgender rights in America.

(Image one by Ryan Deloney and Image two by Shane Wynn)

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Angelina Jolie "Is Not Dating At This Time" — See Her Full Dating History Here

We almost broke our necks reading headlines about Angelina Jolie and her potential new boyfriend, but the rumors were quickly shut down. Yeah, yeah, yeah...cue the world's smallest violin, I know.

Angelina's been through a very public divorce with her ex-husband Brad Pitt, so we know better than to expect her to display something new for the tabloids just yet. It did, however, make us start thinking about her past dating history. It's time to take a walk down memory lane, because these romances are filled with fellow entertainers and lessons learned!

Ex-Husband Jonny Lee Miller

United Artists/Getty Images

Angelina Jolie and Jonny Lee Miller entered each other's orbit during the filming of Hackers. This 1995 movie has everything to do with it's name, and ends with said Hackers ultimately unraveling a greater conspiracy. As is sometimes inevitable, Jonny and Angelina got close throughout filming, but went their separate ways once their time on set ended (via US Weekly).

They didn't stay apart for too long because they eventually got married the following year. It's even reported that Angelina proudly made a dark statement during their small wedding by wearing a t-shirt with Jonny's bloodied name written on it. She didn't do it to be gross though, but wanted to solidify their vows. "You’re about to marry him. You can sacrifice a little to make it really special," she remembers telling herself (via The New York Times). But, their marriage dissolved in less than two years and they decided to get divorced in 1999, according to US Weekly.

The two would go on to be amicable with each other, with Angelina even referring to Jonny as a "great friend" (via US Weekly). Earlier this year, Jonny sat down with Johnny Vaughan of Radio X to reveal something shocking. "I jumped out of an airplane...I was dating a young lady called Angelina," he said. He then shared that it was Angelina who encouraged him to do this daredevil feat with her. "She is cool as a cucumber. Fearless, that woman."

Ex-Girlfriend Jenny Shimizu

Dario Cantatore/Getty Images

During the brief time Jonny Lee Miller and Angelina weren't communicating, the Maria actress entered her first relationship with a woman. Jenny Shimizu and Angelina co-starred in another mid-'90s movie called Foxfire that centered the lives of teens and the bad decisions that land them in precarious situations.

Recounting how she felt about Jenny Shimizu, Angelia told Girlfriends magazine, "I fell in love with her the first second I saw her. Actually, I saw when she was being cast in Foxfire, and I thought she had just read for my part," she said. Ironically, her future ex-husband Brad Pitt was mentioned in the same interview, but the two hadn't met yet.

There's not much info about Angelina and Jenny's relationship beyond this, so it seems like things didn't last long.

Ex-Husband Billy Bob Thornton

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Here's where Angelina's relationships truly started to getting interesting. After things ended with Jonny Lee Miller and Jenny Shimizu, her next partner was none other than Billy Bob Thornton. InStyle recalls the two co-starred in Pushing Tin together, a movie about the ins and outs of two co-workers' fraught romantic relationships. Given the movie released in 1999, everyone didn't know how to respond to Angelina and Billy Bob's marriage the next year.

Unfortunately, even Laura Dern was caught by surprise — she and Billy Bob were allegedly engaged at the time. "I left our home to work on a movie, and while I was away, my boyfriend got married, and I’ve never heard from him again," she said, according to ABC News. That's...not the way to go about things, but apparently Angelina and her new husband didn't care at the time.

From then on out, Angelina and Billy Bob frequented red carpet events together. They didn't shy away from pulling off, uh, interesting stunts, that left everyone speechless. No one will ever forget when Billy Bob unashamedly admitted the two got frisky before walking the red carpet at the premiere of Gone in 60 Seconds.

However, their marriage dissolved because of their "different lifestyles," according to Billy Bob (via E! News). "So, that's really — that's the only reason we're probably not still together, maybe, because of a different path in life we wanted to take," he said.

Ex-Husband Brad Pitt

Anthony Harvey/Getty Images

This divorce breaks our hearts to revisit, but here we go! Everyone knows Brad and Angelina starred in the hit movie Mr. & Mrs. Smith, but we also could tell their intense chemistry had nothing to do with playing their respective roles. These two had such sizzling energy onscreen that it didn't take long for people to speculate Angelina was the reason Brad decided to part ways with Jennifer Aniston.

However, Angelina reportedly denies that was the case. She did notice she and Brad were excited to see each other at work though. "Because of the film, we ended up being brought together to do all these crazy things, and I think we found this strange friendship and partnership that kind of just suddenly happened," she said (via PEOPLE). According to the same outlet, it didn't take long for Brad and Angelina to move forward with their feelings once it was clear Jennifer was going to be out of the picture.

Though Brad and Angelina expanded their brood to include six children — Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, Knox, and Vivienne — a terrible incident unraveled everything. According to the BBC, Angelina accused Brad of become a belligerent drunk during a flight that resulted in injuries. She didn't waste time filing for divorce, which spoke volumes to us.

Um, The Weeknd?

Theo Wargo/Getty Images For US Weekly

Much to our surprise, Angelina Jolie and The Weeknd were rumored to be getting close around two years ago. They were seen on several 'dates,' one being at Giorgi Baldi, which continued to make people believe they were secretly dating (via Daily Mail). Since neither confirmed or denied the nature of their relationship, it's hard to say if there's any merit to the rumors.

We'll just have to speculate and keep it moving!

Is Angelina Jolie dating anyone these days? 

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for FLC

Last year, Angelina spoke with WSJ Magazine to talk about about her life and career. She intimately revealed that her body reacted to all the pressure from going through her divorce from Brad which serves as a stark reminder why stress is never good for anyone! "I suddenly had Bell’s palsy six months before my divorce," she shockingly admitted. She also made it clear her focus was on her kids and nothing else. "They are the closest people to me and my life, and they’re my close friends."

Despite being recently linked to British rapper Akala, Angelina put an end to rumors they're dating today. A source said, "They all work together," referring to Akala's relationship with someone else. "Angelina remains focused on her family and is not dating at this time," (via PEOPLE).

The common theme throughout Angelina Jolie's dating history is her attachment to unconventional romances. Maybe she didn't always make the best choices in love, but it doesn't seem like they've create a hole in her heart. We can't wait to see who she finally lands with next!

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Cynthia Nixon Reveals That Her Eldest Son Is Transgender

Yesterday’s Trans Day of Action (TDOA) marked milestones for many in the LGBTQ+ community — including New York governor candidate Cynthia Nixon.

The Sex and the City star took to Instagram to honor her eldest of three children, Samuel Joseph Mozes, born Samantha Mozes, with a sweet post celebrating his accomplishments.

“I’m so proud of my son Samuel Joseph Mozes (called Seph) who graduated this month,” she wrote. “I salute him and everyone else marking today’s Trans Day of Action,” she wrote, adding the hashtag, “TDOA.”

TDOA is an annual march/rally that shines a spotlight on continued violence and discrimination in the transgender community. It was first organized by the Audre Lorde Project back in 2005.

The photo showcased mother and son posing together during graduation at Samuel’s alma mater, the University of Chicago.

Nixon, who is currently campaigning to be the first queer governor of New York, has long been a proponent for LGBTQ+ rights.

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Today is such a heavy day for all of us in the queer community. It's been two years since the devastating shooting at the #Pulse nightclub in Orlando. Take good care of each other today and everyday—proudly, carefully, and with love.‬

A post shared by Cynthia Nixon (@cynthiaenixon) on

Back in May, she expertly clapped back at a jab made by former NYC Councilwoman Christine Quinn, who called the actress an “unqualified lesbian,” with a cheeky tweet that read as follows: “It’s true that I never received my certificate from the Department of Lesbian Affaris, though in my defense, there’s a lot of paperwork that’s required.”

She also helped to set up Fight Back New York in 2010 in an effort to level the senate playing field by working to defeat those who opposed same-sex marriages.

As she herself said in 2017 speech on the subject, “As LGBTQ+ people, we know how important coming out is. But I would argue that our coming out has never been more important than it is right now. Whether we are lesbian or gay or transgender Muslim or Mexican or any one of a number of other categories I could name, we are allies united by our otherness.”

What do you think of Cynthia’s post? Share over @BritandCo.

(Photos via Astrid Stawiarz/Getty)

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I’m Convinced This $10 Bottle Is The Best Drugstore Conditioner To Add Shine

It takes a lot for me to love a hair product. I’ve always kept maintenance around my locks super low-key, usually opting for the cheapest and most seemingly-effective shampoos, conditioners, and leave-in treatments you can find at the drugstore. To make a long story short, I’m not picky.

At the beginning of this year, I sought out to upgrade my self-care routines (albeit in small, affordable ways) so I could look and feel my best. Knowing hair care had become an afterthought, I figured why not switch up Old Reliable (AKA the Pantene shampoo and conditioner combo I’d used for years)?

I’m not knocking Pantene in any way, but after using the same products over and over again across countless showers, my locks became noticeably tired. Thus, I stumbled into Target to explore their perpetual collection of hair care and landed on what I think is now the best, most joy-evoking drugstore shampoo and conditioner I’ve ever experienced.

Meredith Holser

Other than the beautiful bottles, the Mielle Organics Rosemary Mint Strengthening Shampoo + Conditioner set caught my eye for claiming stronger, longer, and healthier hair. I had seen the brand’s hair oil go TikTok-viral a few months prior, which gave me all the approval I needed to add the duo to my cart.

After 10 months of consistent use, I’m loving the set. Though I don’t necessarily use it for hair growth alone, I have observed accelerated growth as well as improved strength in my strands.

The conditioner in particular has earned a mass amount of bonus points in my book for depositing noticeable moisture to my locks after shampooing and providing a fairly no-fuss detangling routine, which is my most urgent hair concern.

Meredith Holser

The Mielle conditioner contains biotin (for “longer, healthier hair”), coconut oil, and babassu seed oil that work to moisturize and soften your hair after a good wash. This isessential since I’ve found that most shampoos strip oils from my scalp and hair – not a bad thing though. It’s what shampoos are made to do, but my hair craves more moisture!

The conditioner is also infused with rosemary and mint essential oils which increase blood circulation, allowing more oxygen to reach the scalp, thus stimulating hair growth.

Meredith Holser

Before drying + styling

As I mentioned, my hair has that classic “squeaky clean” feel after shampooing, and though that’s what I want from a shampoo, it doesn’t help to use only shampoo once my hair’s dried. Without conditioner, my hair definitely lacks moisture and feels dry and stiff – even while I’m still in the shower. This conditioner feels ahh-mazing and never fails to restore all the necessary moisture my locks have lost after a thorough wash!

When using it, I use 1 to 1 ½ pumps of the product. I typically focus it around the ends of my hair (where there’s the most damage) before working the remaining product closer to my scalp. I leave it on for around 5 minutes while I wash my body and face before thoroughly rinsing it out. My hair feels super silky and detangled after the conditioning’s done!

The Verdict

Meredith Holser

After drying + styling

Where a conditioner’s performance really matters for me is making my hair look soft and healthy after it’s dry, so I can go on to style it without pesky knots and further damage. Brushing my hair post-conditioner is always a breeze with this Mielle pick, and the same goes for styling. I use an air styler and it glides smoothly and easily through my strands for a nice at-home blowout every single time.

More than anything, this is the best drugstore conditioner to leave my hair looking supremely shiny after all is said and done. I know that using it consistently over the course of this year has set my hair up to be super healthy so I never have to worry about excessive dryness breakage!

Try It For Yourself

Amazon

Mielle Organics Rosemary Mint Strengthening Conditioner

I bought this bottle (12 fluid ounces) back in January, and haven't had to restock it just yet. For $10, I can certify it's a really great deal and I've absolutely gotten my money's worth. Plus, for the results this conditioner delivers, it feels just like a luxury hair care product. It also goes for around the same price (there's a 12-cent difference) at Target!

Amazon

Mielle Organics Rosemary Mint Strengthening Shampoo

I also highly recommend you use the conditioner in conjunction with the coordinating shampoo. It has a delicious rosemary and mint scent that leaves your scalp feeling uber-refreshed after a thorough wash. This bottle currently goes for $9 on Amazon and $10 at Target.

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Tom Holland Is Finally Returning To Our Screens After The Job That "Absolutely Broke" Him

The age of the movie star might have been replaced by the age of the fictional character, but there are still more than a few actors audiences L-O-V-E. Rachel Zegler, Florence Pugh, and Madelyn Cline are just a few of the stars who make the list, but there's one A-lister who's finally making his return to the big screen: Tom Holland!

The Hollywood Reporter confirmed on October 21 that the Spider-Man actor would join Christopher Nolan's new movie alongside Matt Damon and I have never leapt down an internet rabbit hole so fast. If you're wondering 'What movie is Tom Holland making?' then look no further. Here's everything you need to know about the new movie before it hits theaters.

  • Tom Holland is finally starring in a new movie.
  • After The Crowded Room "absolutely broke" him, he decided to take a break from Hollywood.
  • The new film, directed by Christopher Nolan and starring Matt Damon, is coming next summer.


AppleTV+

Tom Hollandand Matt Damon will star in Christopher Nolan's new movie for Universal Pictures. The film is still unnamed for now, but if these two actors are involved, it's sure to be one heck of an action movie. We don't have an official synopsis yet, but sources told THR that it likely won't be set in the present day. The movie is scheduled for July 17, 2026 and Deadline reports they're expected to begin filming at the beginning of 2025.

Considering Tom is one of my favorite actors ever, I'm super excited to see him return to the screen — especially given how devastated I was when he said he needed a break from acting. "This show absolutely broke me in every way possible,” he said at the premiere for AppleTV+ show The Crowded Room in New York City. “I just kept my head down. I dug my heels in, and I just tried my best.”

"I'm no stranger to hard work," he told ExtraTV. "I've lived by the idea that hard work is good work. Then again, the show did break me. There did come a time where I needed a break and disappeared and went to Mexico for a week and had time on a beach and laid low. I'm now taking a year off, and that is a result of how difficult this show was."

Sony Pictures

This reminds me of Emma Watson's recent break from acting following 2019's Little Women, and her comments that being a child actor left her feeling "caged."

“The thing I found really hard was that I had to go out and sell something that I really didn’t have very much control over," she told The Financial Times. "To stand in front of a film and have every journalist be able to say, ‘How does this align with your viewpoint?’ It was very difficult to have to be the face and the spokesperson for things where I didn’t get to be involved in the process.”

Bero

Both Emma and Tom have been able to step into more senior creative roles...and they both happen to be in the drink space (Emma and her brother Alex launched Renais gin in April 2023, while Tom announced his new non-alcoholic beer BERO on October 16).

“After two years on my sobriety journey, I wanted to create something that reflected my lifestyle and values," Tom Holland said in a statement. “This beer isn’t just for those on a similar path, but for everyone who appreciates quality, craftsmanship and living life to the fullest."

Here's hoping you get to cheers a BERO on the set of your new movie, Tom!

Check back here for the latest Tom Holland movie news! And read up on his adorable relationship with Zendaya, of course.

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