Laverne Cox’s dating life became a hot topic on The View on Monday, June 8, as the Emmy-nominated actress was asked about her past relationship with a “blonde-haired, blue-eyed, MAGA Republican” NYPD officer.
The discussion, sparked by co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin, came as Cox kicked off promotion for her upcoming memoir, Transcendent, and quickly renewed conversations about navigating romantic relationships across major political differences.
Griffin questioned whether Cox was surprised by the public reaction that followed her Instagram disclosure about the relationship last summer. In response, Cox explained that the romance developed unexpectedly.
“I didn’t plan to fall in love,” she said, noting that the officer “treated me better than anyone I’d dated up to that point.”
However, she added that the relationship ultimately became more complicated as “his politics and his unexamined life became clear.”
Cox explained that she and her former partner initially managed to set aside their political differences, but over time, those disagreements became too significant to ignore.
“People show you who they are,” she said, adding that remaining in the relationship eventually felt like a betrayal of her own beliefs.
“Fascism is not consistent with my values,” Cox told the The View panel, emphasizing that she never shared her ex’s political views. She explained that their inability to align on core issues ultimately played a major role in the breakup. “I love him, but I love myself more.”
The actress also shared additional details about the relationship, revealing that the pair met on Tinder in 2020. According to Cox, her ex initially misrepresented his profession, and their relationship lasted four years before growing ideological differences made it impossible to continue.
Despite the public interest surrounding the romance, Cox has never disclosed his identity.
The renewed attention stems from comments she made last July while promoting Gurrl, when she first publicly acknowledged dating a MAGA-supporting NYPD officer. The revelation sparked criticism from some members of the LGBTQ community, who felt that both his political affiliation and law enforcement background conflicted with support for transgender rights.
Prior to that relationship, Cox was publicly linked to filmmaker Jono Freedrix in 2016 and record-label executive Kyle Draper from 2017 to 2019.
Her relationship with the NYPD officer began shortly after her split from Draper and continued throughout the pandemic. Cox first confirmed the romance during an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in early 2021 before quietly revealing their breakup on The Viall Files last spring.
