People love a good Hollywood legacy story. Usually, it's about who looks like which famous parent or who’s taking over the family business. But with Jamie Lee Curtis, the narrative shifted in a way that actually caught a lot of people off guard. For years, the public knew her younger child as her son. That’s the "jamie lee curtis son" you might still see popping up in old search results or archived red carpet photos.
But things aren't always what they seem from a distance. Honestly, life rarely follows the script we write for it.
In 2021, Jamie Lee Curtis shared some news that was both deeply personal and incredibly public. She revealed that she and her husband, the legendary Christopher Guest, had "watched in wonder and pride" as their son became their daughter, Ruby. It wasn't just a name change. It was a total evolution of identity that turned the "Scream Queen" into a vocal, "grateful student" of the trans experience.
The Journey From Thomas to Ruby Guest
Ruby Guest was born in 1996. Like her older sister Annie, she was adopted by Jamie and Christopher shortly after birth. For about 25 years, the world—and her parents—knew her as Thomas Guest. She lived a relatively quiet life, especially compared to her mom’s high-octane career.
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Coming out isn't a one-day event. It’s a process. Ruby actually first started questioning things way back when she was 16. A friend asked her what her gender was, and while she said "male" at the time, the question stuck. It rattled around in her head for seven years.
That One Text Message
Telling your parents you're trans is terrifying. Even if your parents are Jamie Lee Curtis and a literal British Baron (yes, Christopher Guest is a Baron). Ruby actually tried to tell them in person at their Los Angeles home. She sat there. She looked at them. And then... she just couldn't do it.
She ended up leaving and sending a text.
Jamie Lee’s reaction? Total support, even if it came with a massive learning curve. Jamie has been very open about the fact that she "blew it" sometimes. She’s slipped up on pronouns. She’s used the old name—what some call a "deadname"—by accident. But she doesn't hide those mistakes. She talks about them because she wants other parents to know it’s okay to be a "student" in your own home.
Life as a Video Game Editor and Cosplay Queen
Ruby doesn't do the acting thing. She’s not interested in being the next final girl in a slasher flick. Instead, she’s made a name for herself in the gaming world. She works as a computer gaming editor, which makes sense given her love for the digital space.
Gaming was actually one of the first places Ruby felt comfortable exploring her identity. She told People magazine that she used to play as female avatars in video games. It was a safe way to test out how she felt before she was ready to tell the world.
The Backyard Cosplay Wedding
If you want to know how cool this family is, look at Ruby's wedding. In May 2022, she married her partner, Kynthia, in a ceremony that was 100% them. It was a cosplay wedding held in the family's backyard.
- Jamie Lee Curtis didn't just attend; she officiated.
- She wore a full World of Warcraft-inspired costume (Jaina Proudmoore, for the nerds out there).
- The vibe was pure joy, a far cry from the stuffy Hollywood weddings you usually see.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Transition
There’s this weird misconception that celebrity kids come out for attention. If you look at Ruby, it’s the exact opposite. She stayed private for years. She only went public because she and Jamie realized their story could actually save lives.
Trans rights have become a massive political football lately. Jamie Lee hasn't stayed quiet about it. She’s used her platform—including her 2023 Oscar win for Everything Everywhere All at Once—to advocate for Ruby and the wider trans community. She even nicknamed her Oscar "they/them" in honor of her daughter.
The Learning Curve for Parents
"It's like speaking a new language," Jamie once said. You have to slow down. You have to be mindful. Honestly, many parents struggle with the "loss" of the child they thought they had. Jamie admits that the name she gave her child at birth was a part of her daily vocabulary for decades. Letting go of that isn't instant.
But as Jamie puts it, the "old ideas" just don't work anymore. If the child is happy and thriving, the labels are secondary.
Moving Forward: Lessons from the Guest-Curtis Household
So, what can we actually take away from this? It’s not just celebrity gossip. There’s a blueprint here for how to handle big family shifts with some actual grace.
- Listen more than you talk. Jamie Lee Curtis is a huge star, but when it comes to Ruby, she lets Ruby lead. She asks questions. She admits when she’s confused.
- Safety is the priority. Coming out is only safe if the environment allows it. Ruby felt she could tell her parents because they had been "accepting of her entire life."
- Advocacy matters. It's one thing to accept your child; it's another to "fight and defend their right to exist," which is exactly what Jamie has vowed to do.
Ruby Guest continues to live her life mostly away from the paparazzi, focusing on her career and her marriage. She’s shown that you don't have to be a movie star to have a powerful impact. By simply being herself, she changed the way one of the biggest stars in the world sees the universe.
If you’re navigating a similar path with a family member, remember that it's okay to be a "grateful student." You don't need to have all the answers on day one. You just need to show up.
To stay informed on how to support trans youth or to understand more about the terminology Jamie Lee Curtis discusses, check out resources like GLAAD or The Trevor Project. They offer guides that make the "new language" of gender identity much easier to navigate for everyone involved.