Wilson’s father certainly looms large, particularly in this moment as he continues to take on more political power than even some judges seem to think is legal. Despite Wilson’s distance from Musk, she has unique insight into this precarious moment in the US’s political history. But she’s much more than the estranged daughter of the world’s richest man — in fact, she says, she barely thinks about her father. “I’m not giving anyone that space in my mind,” she tells Teen Vogue. “The only thing that gets to live free in my mind is drag queens.”
Instead, Wilson says, she’s building her future on a platform she’s created herself. She’s living abroad and studying languages in school — she has studied French, Spanish, and Japanese — and, before this all happened, she hoped to become a translator.
But with her newfound prominence, Wilson is considering other possibilities, like Twitch streaming and modeling. “I haven’t made any money from being famous at all. I have made zero dollars and zero cents. I do live in a lot of people’s heads rent-free, though,” she quips. “I feel like Twitch streaming would be so much fun…. I don’t feel like the world needs another Twitch streamer, but [I’d] love to do it.”
Other onscreen options also appeal to her: “It is my absolute dream to be on a reality show, which I know is absolutely pathetic,” Wilson says with a laugh. “As an overdramatic little queer, reality shows are something I adore beyond belief.” And with this cover story on the books — her first — it feels likely that more opportunities will be coming Wilson’s way.
“Vivian has always had an uncompromising sense of who she is — and who she needs to be,” Wilson’s mom, Justine, tells Teen Vogue. “She is big, fierce, wild multi-layered magic.”
Wilson’s vibrant life, full of possibility, underscores the lifesaving power of gender-affirming care for young people. As a child, Wilson struggled through gender dysphoria and the attendant mental health issues it often causes. She’s horrified by the wave of anti-trans legislation targeting young people like her. In the US, her peers are being demonized by the right, and are left undefended by Democrats. One of Trump’s first executive orders upon retaking office attempted to bar federal funding for health care providers that perform gender-affirming care for young people under 19; multiple federal judges have blocked the order from taking effect for now.
Wilson is compelled to speak out on trans issues, saying, “I don’t feel like people realize that being trans is not a choice.”
She continues, “Obviously, it’s not just trans people that are affected by the current administration,” and mentions “marginalized groups such as undocumented immigrants and people of color. [I’m] really trying to do more advocacy on that front, since the current administration has kind of been like a wrecking ball in that regard.”
Wilson recently caught up with Teen Vogue via Zoom from Tokyo, where she’s now studying. She’s just as much of a firecracker in conversation as she is online. For the duration of our lengthy conversation, she sits cross-legged on the floor of her dorm room, her straight, blonde hair falling well past her shoulders. We bounce between trans gossip, overly online discourse, her unusual extended family, and what she describes as our “cartoonishly evil” new government.
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.
Teen Vogue: Tell me about coming out.
Vivian Jenna Wilson: There was one night, it was 11:00 p.m., and I was like, I know for a fact I am trans. I had known for a few months at that point, and I was like, I cannot f**king do this anymore. That was the point where puberty was really picking up and everything in my life was completely falling apart. I was constantly having mental breakdowns in the middle of class. I could not get through days. I didn’t want to wake up, I didn’t want to do anything. I just wanted to rot, pretty much. It was like, I cannot do this anymore. If I stay in the closet anymore, this is going to take me down a very destructive path.
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