Acquaintances from OnlyFans star Kay Manuel’s past have come forward with what they claim is proof that the adult content creator is transgender days after she strenuously denied the rumours.
The 22-year-old, who has made headlines for sleeping with scores of teenage men attending Schoolies on the Gold Coast, broke her silence on the claims this week to adamantly declare she is biologically female.
When presented with photos from an old Facebook account belonging to a young man who online sleuths claim is Manuel, she laughed off the resemblance as a coincidence.
‘We look very, very similar, but no, that’s not me… and no, I am not trans,’ she told Daily Mail this week.
‘I think it is because I have a deep voice,’ she said, adding that if she were transgender she would not conceal it.
However, former co-workers and a high school peer claim Manuel’s transition to female is an open secret in her hometown of Coffs Harbour on the NSW North Coast, where they say she was formerly known as Kayden Tai Manuel.
Manuel has declined to comment on the latest claims she is transgender.
‘It’s incredibly common knowledge,’ an acquaintance said.
‘Coffs is not always an open-minded town and gossip about her transitioning to female did the rounds on group chats around the coast.’
A former school friend, Zahra, who until recently was also posting sexual content to OnlyFans, claimed she had been in contact with Manuel over the years, including when she transitioned to female and began identifying as Kay Manuel full-time.
‘I have messages from her personally confirming that she is trans,’ Zahra said.
‘When I messaged her in November [last year] asking if she had had [genital reassignment] surgery she responded, “I wish”.’
It is understood Manuel has since had that surgery.
Manuel told Daily Mail this week that there was ‘no truth’ that she was nominated for ‘best transgender porn star’ for two years running at an adult industry awards show last year.
She claimed it was a mistake on the part of the show organisers.
‘I talked to the awards about it… and they just said that it was false because I didn’t win anything,’ she said.
However, a former coworker who worked alongside Kay at a NSW mid north coast McDonalds restaurant recalls her showing interest in transitioning in 2018.
‘She was openly gay for most of high school, but only showed outward interest in becoming trans when she was 17,’ the ex-coworker said.
‘Even before her operation, she would dress up as a female.’
Another former school peer recalls Manuel wearing a dress at their Year 12 formal.
This is the second year Manuel has joined Schoolies celebrations to recruit teens to film sex on camera, with the videos shared on subscriber-based platforms.
‘If I was trans, of course I would be communicating that with the men I film with,’ she told Daily Mail this week.
Manuel, who has set her sights on breaking a new record of bedding over 1,000 teens in two weeks, claims to have slept with 75 young men within the first two days of Schoolies on the Gold Coast.
She said the consent process was more involved than just ticking a box and signing a form.
‘What a lot of people don’t know is that my content is filmed during the day because Schoolies need to be sober to film,’ she explained.
Participants must provide identification showing they are over 18, undertake a sobriety test, and sign multiple consent forms for the different platforms Manuel uses to distribute her adult content.
They can also conceal their identity and have the option to withdraw permission once filming has concluded.
‘Consent is a really big thing so I understand why people are outraged by it,’ she said.
‘There is an initial meeting – basically a consultation – and I have all the different consent forms laid out and it takes between 20 to 40 minutes to get through that paperwork.’
When contacted for comment on Tuesday, Manuel did not wish to discuss her past.
‘I’ve already given all of my answers and story to another outlet,’ she said.
‘I’m not willing to comment on anything else, you can see my quotes when the article comes out.’