Former WWE wrestler comes out as a transgender woman

Gabbi Tuft, a former WWE wrestler who performed under the name Tyler Reks, has come out as a transgender woman.

Tuft and her wife Priscilla sat down for an interview about the changes in their relationship and Gabbi’s journey to her true self.

Related: Country music star T.J. Osborne comes out as gay

Tuft appeared in “Raw,” “SmackDown,” and “WrestleMania” before retiring to spend more time with Priscilla and their daughter. The couple started the Body Spartan fitness company together.

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“It’s been a very interesting… progression. Our intimate life has changed quite a bit,” Tuft told out Extra reporter Billy Bush. “What we’ve discovered is a whole different part of our relationship.”

While there have been some major changes in their relationship, the foundation has proven strong.

“There was a lot of very difficult, traumatic emotion in trying to figure out how I was going to present myself to the world,” Gabbi said. “Having Priscilla by my side as a huge support has changed that. And she has been such a rock for me.”

Their daughter is also solidly in her corner.

“It’s an ongoing conversation,” Tuft told the outlet. “I told her, ‘Sweetheart, I’m not going to go out in public right now and go outside,’ and she goes, ‘Why, daddy?’ ‘I’m afraid that people might make fun of me and it might affect you,’ and she leans over gives me the biggest hug and she says, ‘Daddy, I will never make fun of you.’”

For days leading up to the announcement, Tuft had hinted on social media that she would be coming out.

“By releasing the iron grip that so many believe is the bond of true love, we allow the other person the freedom to choose – to choose their own life path and to be who they were truly meant to be. The process can be painful beyond words but the end result is enlightenment towards every aspect of the human experience,” she wrote in a recent Instagram post also shared on Twitter. It included a photo of Gabbi and Priscilla embracing.

“With everything that I’m going through, that I have been through, and knowing how emotionally distressful it can be, because, like I said, there have been some dark nights,” Tuft said to Bean. “I know that there are thousands of transgender women, transgender men that are going through the same process I’m going through, and they don’t have the support that I do.”

“And so here’s what I pledge: I promise that I will share my story and be 100% transparent, because knowing that there is a light at the end of the tunnel can just be that ray of hope that keeps somebody with us, that keeps him alive, and lets them know, ‘Yes, I can do this, too.’”