‘This is me. Unashamed, unabashedly me’: Former WWE wrestler Gabbi Tuft comes out as transgender

'I promise to always be transparent and truthful with my journey'

Former WWE wrestler Gabbi Tuft has come out as transgender, telling her followers: “This is me. Unashamed, unabashedly me.”

Tuft, 42, who wrestled professionally in WWE between 2009 to 2012 under the stage name Tyler Reks, shared the news in a release on Thursday.

“Gabbi is about to share her thrilling story of gender transitioning from a former WWE superstar, body builder, fitness guru, motivational speaker and motorcycle racer to a fun-loving and fabulous female,” the release read.

“She has been finally set free and is ready to rule her world,” it added.

Ms Tuft also revealed that she will share more about her transition during an extended interview on Extra, which is set to air on Friday.

The news release came shortly before she posted a picture of herself on Instagram sitting in front of a photo from her wrestling days.

In a statement accompanying the photo, Ms Tuft wrote: “This is me. Unashamed, unabashedly me.

“This is the side of me that has hidden in the shadows, afraid and fearful of what the world would think; afraid of what my family, friends, and followers would say or do.”

Ms Tuft, whose signature move in WWE was the “Burning Hammer”, started a fitness company named Body Spartan after retiring from wrestling, which she runs with her wife Priscilla. The couple share a 9-year-old daughter.

In her post on Instagram, Tuft revealed that the previous eight months had been the hardest of her life, but thanked her family for helping her come out.

“The day I stopped caring about what other people thought, was the day I truly became limitless and allowed my authentic self to come into the light,” Ms Tuft said.

She added: “My loving wife, family, and closest friends have accepted me for who I am. To them, I am forever grateful. Your support along the way means more than you will ever know.”

Ms Tuft concluded her post by writing: “I promise to always be transparent and truthful with my journey, and to be a light to those that are in need. This is me.”