‘They called me Tranny Danny’: Meet Rain Dove, the controversial model you’re about to see everywhere
The unconventional model is now dating Rose McGowan and is causing cracks in the #MeToo movement after a very toxic Twitter fight with Asia Argento
RAIN Dove, the model dating #MeToo activist Rose McGowen, claims to hate confrontation – but seems to find it hard to avoid.
The 27-year-old, who was born with female genitalia but identifies as neither male or female, has waded in on the Hollywood sex scandal debate and called out Asia Argentino, claiming she had raped a minor in 2013.
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Rain Dove identifies as neither male or female
Credit: Instagram
But it’s not the first time Dove – who prefers to be referred to as ‘they’ – has sent shockwaves through Hollywood.
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Nicknamed ‘Tranny Danny’
Dove grew up in a small community in Vermont feeling ugly. With 32DD breasts and a 6’2 stocky build, Dove felt masculine compared to the girls in their year and was nicknamed ‘Tranny Danny’ by cruel school bullies.
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Rose and Dove have been dating for a year
Credit: Getty – Contributor
Feeling more comfortable in masculine clothes, Dove began to dress like a man when at the University of California in her early 20s.
“I wasn’t a victim but I just didn’t fit in. It wasn’t easy but I wasn’t exactly going home and crying every day,” Dove told Yahoo.
Rose McGowan sends Harvey Weinstein creepy birthday message as she ‘declares victory’ over Hollywood sex monster
“I just knew that there was something different about me. Something that wasn’t common.
“I was tall and muscular and didn’t wear the popular things. It was a very awkward phase.”
A year living as a man
On leaving school, Dove joined the Colorado Firefighters and spent a year living as a man.
“The male firefighters asked me to rate the women with them.
“I realised very quickly that I didn’t want to be the ugly woman in a room full of men so I went along with being a man for the next 11 months,” Dove told Yahoo.
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Dove has walked for some of the biggest names in fashion
Credit: Getty – Contributor
“I thought I had discovered the golden ticket to life. I didn’t have to be an ugly girl anymore. Instead, I could be a decent-looking heterosexual cisgendered white guy.”
Dove stopped using pronouns and identifying as one sex explaining to the Guardian: “Use she, he, it, one, they. You could call me mow mow and I honestly don’t care. A pronoun is just a sound. All I’m listening for in that sound is positivity.”
‘I walked out topless, breasts flopping everywhere’
After a year in the fire service, Dove went to university and was dared to attend a casting for Calvin Klein by a friend.
“Modelling sounded like the worst possible thing,” Dove previously said.
“I was pursuing a degree in genetic engineering when I lost a bet with a friend who was a DKNY model at the time and ended up having to go to a casting call for Calvin Klein.
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Rain Dove seen in an early fashion shoot
Credit: Instagram
“I remember dragging my feet, hoping I’d miss the casting.”
At the audition, models were all required to walk in just a pair of pants.
Speaking to Miami Herald, Dove said: “I put on the underwear and walked out topless, breasts flopping everywhere.
“I thought the designer was going to pass out; he was so confused. So he puts me in a big Calvin Klein men’s shirt and says, ‘Swear to God, you will not tell anyone you’re a woman!’”
Three months later Dove had their first modelling job. They’ve since walked in New York Fashion Week on both men and women’s runways.
“I present myself in whatever way’s beneficial. If you’re more likely to treat a male better in a situation than a female, then I will present myself as that gender.
“I’m more comfortable modelling as a man because I don’t get any criticism. Weight is a big issue for female models.
“When I model menswear, I’ll gain a couple of sizes. Sometimes, that’s just pure fat, not muscle.”
Rose and the Weinstein bomb
Dove met Rose McGowan through mutual friends in 2017.
But Dove wasn’t keen on the idea of dating anyone famous.
“I didn’t want to have to deal with celebrity complex. I was like: ‘Celebrity? They’re always crazy!’” Dove previously said.
But despite the reservations, Dove agreed to meet Rose for dinner at her home the day before the Harvey Weinstein news broke – and they hit it off.
“She was like: ‘The world is going to change tomorrow! You don’t understand. The world is going to f***ing change tomorrow!’” Dove recalls.
“I was, like: ‘This person is absolutely fascinating, but this is why we don’t work with celebrities.’ I had no idea what she was talking about, of course.”
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Both Asia and Rose claim they were raped by Weinstein
Credit: AP:Associated Press
After the shocking allegations were revealed, Dove explained: “From then we talked as allies: ‘How can I be supportive, help you move forward?’”
Repairing rose’s image
The friendship blossomed and they started dating in July after the actress’s rage-filled rant at a transgender woman at a New York City book signing for her memoir Brave that many found to be transphobic.
Dove offered to help Rose repair her image and they ended up getting together confirming their relationship with a PDA at OZY fest in New York earlier in the summer.
Dove describes Rose as “amazing” while Rose posted on Twitter on her 45th birthday that Dove was someone “who’s brought water energy to my fire.”
The Asia saga
Since they started dating Rose, Dove’s involvement in #MeToo has become more complex.
The model has been locked in a war of words with former friend Asia Argento for weeks after Asia apparently confessed to Rain via text that she had sex with her underage colleague Jimmy Bennett, when he was just 17.
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Dove and Asia have had a public fight about the #MeToo movement
Credit: Getty – Contributor
Rain passed the texts to the police and they leaked to TMZ.
Asia, 42, responded to Dove’s decision to share the texts by labelling the model a “monster.”
“I did not want to be complicit in something that could be a crime,” Dove told CNN.
“The whole entire thing really just tipped at the point of yes, this person engaged with this individual when they were a minor and that is considered in California, I believe it’s statutory rape.”
Asia and her lawyer are now claiming that she was the victim, and Jimmy sexually assaulted her that day in the hotel.
Dove responded by tweeting: “I will 100 per cent help support you through this process with whatever resources I have that can assist the healing necessary – but you need to be honest. I can’t help a dishonest being.”
Asia hit back with: “Very funny coming from a sick pathological liar like you, who made money out of me by selling selected text messages in order to portray me for something I am not.”
Dove has since said they are “exceedingly disappointed” by Asia’s statement.
“In a sexual assault case, it’s important to support and believe the victim. But what happens when both parties claim to be the victim? The solution is to shift your support to just the truth and an honest dialogue.”
And with the conversation around the Hollywood Sex Scandal heating up again, we’ve got a feeling we’ll be hearing – and seeing – a lot more of Dove and McGowan over the coming weeks.
