As soon as we started seeing Vivian Wilson’s irreverent, audacious posts on social media, we knew we had the potential makings of a great Teen Vogue profile — the 20-year-old estranged daughter of the richest man in the world, a fervent believer in equality and justice, an extremely online Gen Zer who seemed to embody the most entertaining traits of her generation.
What unfolded over several months was a series of conversations with someone whose every move and post is thrust into a global spotlight, obsessed over, written about and picked apart — and yet, she remains an open book, sharing snippets of her life with ease.
In our exclusive interview — only the second one Wilson has ever done — the student of languages (and anthropologically, culture and the world) provides the most in-depth look yet at who she is, independent of the infamous extended family into which she was born.
She speaks about being trans and the impact of gender-affirming care, and how at this very precarious moment in the world, we can find hope in community: for trans people, for queer people, for young people. For people.
This is a story about a young woman on the cusp of full adulthood, finding her voice, building her confidence and community, asserting independence, and standing up to fascists — in between binging Drag Race and the latest Hunger Games book.
What’s more Teen Vogue than that?
Read Vivian Wilson’s interview with writer and comedian Ella Yurman here.
I'd like to give a special thank you to our incredible team who made this happen — from our Design Director Emily Zirimis remotely producing a shoot in Tokyo with the talented photographer and our frequent contributor Andy Jackson; to our Politics Director Allegra Kirkland and News & Politics Editor Lex McMenamin for working so thoughtfully and diligently on the story, and to our photo, visuals, audience development, fact-checking and copy editing staff and more. Our team is a dream.
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