Transgender WWE star Gabbi Tutt, 45, reveals the moment she broke down in tears when store clerk misgendered her and how she learned to use a handgun after moving from San Francisco to anti-LGBTQ Texas

Transgender WWE star Gabi Tuft has opened up about the moment she broke down in tears after a store clerk mistreated her.

The wrestler turned influencer explained how she felt “crushed” after the 2020 incident with a salesperson.

It took place one of the first times Tutt, 45, decided to go out dressed as a woman, and two months before she officially came out.

“I stood in line for my truck and cried for half an hour,” Tuft told the newspaper San Francisco Chronicle. “I didn't present myself as a woman for over a week, it crushed me.”

Tutt, who competed in the WWE as the dreadlocked gladiator Tyler Reks, regularly shares images that chart her transition.

The disturbing incident took place in 2020, before Tuft had officially come out, and on one of the first occasions she presented as a woman.

In January of that same year, she moved from San Francisco to Austin, Texas, one of the least welcoming states for LGBTQ+ people

In January 2020, she and her wife Priscilla, along with their daughter Mia, moved from San Francisco to Austin, Texas, one of the least welcoming states for LGBTQ+ people.

Tuft revealed that she learned to use a gun shortly after moving upstate, where she was taught by a military neighbor.

And in 2021, she decided to attend a New Year's Eve party 'in full presentation' after being invited by the same neighbor.

“I walked in the door and got a standing ovation,” Tuft said.

While she acknowledged that her adoptive state has a poor record on trans rights, Tuft revealed that her experiences have improved significantly since the mall incident, despite some online abuse.

The former wrestler also said her ability to receive gender-affirming procedures saved her life.

“Every day I woke up feeling miserable, feeling like my life was incomplete,” Tuft said. 'And my heart breaks for every transgender person who experiences this.'

Tuft talked about how even as a child she dressed in her mother's clothes and was attracted to girls' toys.

Tuft's wife Priscilla supported her transition, although the two are now separating

The influencer shared how she learned to use a gun after moving to Texas

The 45-year-old was positive about her experiences in Texas, although she acknowledged that her wealth and privilege have allowed her to receive gender-affirming procedures that have helped with the transition

But she buried her impulses after realizing they could get her into trouble. During puberty, she started lifting weights and was scouted as a possible WWE star.

Tuft, who performed as Reks, had a career that spanned from 2008 to 2012, with appearances on Smackdown, Raw and Wrestlemania.

However, during the pandemic, she was able to reflect on her gender identity and transition.

“I still ask myself to this day why those feelings surfaced again at the age of 36,” Tuft said. “And I couldn't figure it out.”

Today, although Tuft is in the process of divorcing her wife, she runs a successful fitness company that trains mostly women.

Priscilla supported Tuft's transition and encouraged her to come out, while remaining close to Mia.

“People will say, 'You're getting divorced, Gabbi,' and yes, the fairytale ending doesn't always happen,” Tuft said. “But I'm a successful businesswoman and I have a much-loved child, and I'm a trans woman.”

Tuft regularly shares insights about her transition and hopes to be an example for other trans women.

Tuft regularly shares her journey and her fitness and lifestyle tips with her fans

She talked about how she buried her feminine impulses as a child, but they resurfaced during the pandemic, prompting her transition.

Today, the former wrestler has an active community of supporters and runs a successful fitness business

Tuft is open about her journey, sharing everything from videos of her recovery from facial feminization surgery to the effects of hormone therapy and mid-life puberty.

She now has 124,000 followers on Instagram and shares her journey and her fitness and lifestyle tips with her fans.

She's covered everything from videos about her recovery from facial feminization surgery to the effects of hormone therapy and puberty in mid-life.

“I understand what it feels like to walk out in public without confidence, to be afraid of what people might say or do or how they might look at you,” Tuft said. 'The solution is learning to love who you are inside. And we must first accept who we are.”

However, not all aspects of her transition went smoothly.

Over the summer, Tuft revealed that she missed WWE more than she expected, expressing her disappointment that she was “blocked” from going backstage at Smackdown at Madison Square Garden.

A WWE representative told the NYTimes that the issue was caused by a “ticket shortage,” but no exceptions would still be made to go backstage.