Fenty model Carissa Pinkston lied about being trans to avoid backlash

Carissa Pinkston wearing a red bra top and jeans

Model Carissa Pinkston has reportedly admitted to pretending to be transgender in order to avoid a backlash over anti-trans comments.

Pinkston, a model who was worked for Rihanna’s Savage x Fenty and Marc Jacobs, reportedly said that she was trans on July 22 in a now-deleted Instagram post.

The announcement came just days after she was dropped by her modelling agency over a series of Facebook posts which argued that “being transgender does not make you a woman. It simply makes you transgender.”

“I wasn’t ready to come out about it yet but today I got fired and I’ve been receiving hate mail and death threats ever since so I’m being forced to tell the truth,” Pinkston wrote, according to screenshots shared widely on social media.

“I’m transgender. I transitioned at a very young age and I’ve lived my life as a female ever since.

“What I said about trans-women is a direct reflection of my inner insecurities as I have since come to realise that I am a woman… we all are.”

However the model’s claim was quickly questioned by friends including fellow model Aleece Wilson.

“It’s terrible and disgusting that you’re lying to thousands of people,” Wilson wrote under the message, according to a second screenshot.

“I do not believe she is transgender,” she clarified.

“I’ve seen baby pictures of Carissa, I’ve seen her fully naked, I’ve been around this women long enough to fully know her. We have many trans friends this conversation would have definitely been brought up.

“I’m not transphobic and I would fully support her… but she’s lying about being transgender.”

Aaron Philip, the gender non-conforming trans model, put further doubt on Pinkston’s coming out, tweeting: “Imagine being a model who got exposed for being a raging transphobe/saying extremely transphobic s*** in the past and then resorting to LYING ABOUT BEING TRANSGENDER ONLINE FOR CLOUT IN ATTEMPT TO SAVE YOUR CAREER…?

“I know this person irl and she is SO CISGENDER?? Y’ALL I-?”

Following further criticism, Pinkston reportedly apologised on Instagram and admitted to lying.

“I apologise for any transphobic remark I’ve ever made towards the trans community,” she wrote on Saturday (July 27) in a now-deleted message.

“I panicked and I thought if I came out as trans that I could somehow make things better for myself but it appears I’ve only made things worse.

“I’m truly sorry. I’m only 20 and I’m human. I make mistakes but I refuse to let them define me.”

Pinkston since appears to have deleted all mentions of being trans from her Instagram page.

PinkNews has contacted Pinkston for comment.