Elliot Page recalls ‘traumatic’ transphobic attack in Los Angeles

9521623 elliot page
Elliot Page shared how he rushed into a shop while the stranger threatened him
Apple TV+
Lisa McLoughlin 7 June 2023
The Weekender

Sign up to our free weekly newsletter for exclusive competitions, offers and theatre ticket deals

I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice.

Elliot Page has recalled the traumatic moment he was confronted by a stranger who threatened to “gay bash” him.

The Umbrella Academy star, who came out as transgender in 2020, revealed that he was walking from a hotel in Los Angeles to a cornershop when he was accosted by the furious man last year.

Reflecting on the terrifying encounter in his new memoir, Pageboy, he wrote that the man moved towards him and shouted: “I’m going to f***ing gay bash you, f*****.”

The 36-year-old detailed how he ran to the shop in a bid to find safety and was rushed inside by employees.

From the other side of the entrance, the man yelled: “This is why I need a gun!”

Page opened up about life in Los Angeles after transitioning and admitted that he no longer felt as safe as he once did.

He told the Los Angeles Times: “Now when I’m in Los Angeles, I don’t feel comfortable like I used to, going for walks.”

Elliot Page seeing Pageboy books for the first time
Page opened up about the ordeal in his new memoir, Pageboy
Elliot Page/Instagram

Despite his ordeal, Page stressed that there are other trans people who have it worse than him.

He added: “Doesn’t mean it’s not traumatic. But I have resources that, in every instance that is difficult, protect and can shield me from these things.”

Last month, the Hollywood star shared his gratitude “to be here and alive” after undergoing gender-affirming surgery and acknowledged that his experience as a trans man does not represent the reality of “most trans lives”.

He told People: “My experience as a trans person and this life I have, and the privilege I have does not represent the reality of most trans lives.”

Page is best-known for his Oscar-nominated role in 2007 coming-of-age drama Juno, and more recently for starring in Netflix series The Umbrella Academy.

He has also starred alongside Leonardo DiCaprio and Cillian Murphy in Christopher Nolan’s 2010 film Inception and the X-Men series.

Page came out as gay in 2014 and was married to choreographer Emma Portner before they announced their divorce in January 2021.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in