Carissa Pinkston: Model admits lying about being transgender to avoid backlash over transphobic comments

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy An aspiring model who modelled for Rihanna’s Savage x Fenty line has admitted she lied about being transgender to avoid criticism over transphobic comments she’d made. According to screenshots shared on Twitter, model Carissa Pinkston posted transphobic comments to Facebook in May under the name Rissa Danielle, in which she said being “transgender does not make you a woman”. Transgender model Aaron Philip tweeted: “Imagine being a model who got exposed for being a raging transphobe/saying extremely transphobic sh** in the past and then resorting to LYING ABOUT BEING TRANSGENDER ONLINE FOR CLOUT IN ATTEMPT TO SAVE YOUR CAREER…?” “I know this person and she is so cisgender? ?” Following further backlash, Pinkston apologised on Instagram over the weekend, writing that she had lied about being transgender because she’s “human” and “makes mistakes”.