Lilly Wachowski: Daily Mail denies coercing The Matrix film-maker to come out as transgender

Spokesperson claims reporter who approached Wachowski 'was extremely sympathetic and courteous at all times'

Lilly (formerly Andy) Wachowski came out in a statement to Windy City Times, after being doorstepped by a reporter (Lilly Wachowksi / The Windy City Times www.windycitymediagroup.com)

Daily Mail.com has denied suggestions it effectively forced The Matrix film-maker Lilly Wachowski to come out as transgender after one of its reporters approached her at her home.

Wachowski announced her transition in an essay entitled: “Sex Change Shocker — Wachowski Brothers Now Sisters,” for the Windy City Times, an LGBT weekly newspaper in Chicago. The 48-year-old described receiving calls via her agent from the media about her transition and said she had been waiting to be outed for a year.

Wachowski said it was necessary for her to come out now in order to tell her own story after a journalist from the site approached her on Monday and asked her to sit down for an interview.

In her essay, Lilly said the journalist advised her to speak with him as soon as possible to tell her “inspirational” story while insisting the Daily Mail is not a tabloid. “And that I really didn’t want to have someone from the National Enquirer following me around, did I?," she wrote. "BTW—the Daily Mail is so definitely not a tabloid.

“My sister Lana [who is also a transgender woman] and I have largely avoided the press I find talking about my art frustratingly tedious and talking about myself a wholly mortifying experience. I knew at some point I would have to come out publicly. You know, when you’re living as an out transgender person it’s … kind of difficult to hide. I just wanted—needed some time to get my head right, to feel comfortable.

“But apparently I don’t get to decide this.”

An LGBT advocacy group responded to her essay by condemning media organisations who out transgender people and releasing guidelines for the press on how to write about it.

Daily Mail.com denied coercing Wachowski into announcing her transition and told The Independent its reporter had stressed that nothing would be published without her consent.

A spokesperson said: “DailyMail.com categorically denies that it in any way tried to coerce Lilly Wachowski into revealing her gender transition.

"As Ms Wachowski herself says, we were not the first media organisation to approach her and we made absolutely clear at several points in the conversation that we were only interested in reporting the story if and when she was happy for us to do so and with her cooperation. Our reporter was extremely sympathetic and courteous at all times, as is obvious from our transcript of the exchange.

"Indeed the conversation with our journalist ended with Ms Wachowski agreeing to call him the following day.

"We made absolutely clear at several points in the conversation that we had no intention of publishing anything without her consent. We wish Lilly Wachowski well with her journey though we are surprised as to how she has reacted, given the courtesy and sensitivity with which the reporter approached her.”