Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Daphne Dorman death: Comedian and transgender activist dies from apparent suicide, aged 44

News was confirmed on social media by Dorman's sister

Roisin O'Connor
Sunday 13 October 2019 05:28 EDT
Comments
Daphne Dorman death: Comedian and transgender activist dies from apparent suicide, aged 44

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Comedian and trans activist Daphne Dorman has died aged 44 by apparent suicide, after posting a message on Facebook that said goodbye to her loved ones.

Dorman’s sister Becky Kugler confirmed the death of her sister and shared a tribute online that read: “Sweet, sweet Daphne. I so wish we could all have helped you through your darkness. We’ll always love you, fly high sweet angel.”

Following the news, the Office of Transgender Initiatives in San Francisco also confirmed Dorman’s death on its Twitter account, and offered counselling for anyone seeking help.

After building her career in the entertainment industry, Dorman was mentioned in Dave Chapelle’s controversial Netflix comedy special, Sticks and Stones, which aired in August.

Speaking about the criticism in an epilogue, Chappelle recalled a story in a “secret” ending to the special, which mentioned Dorman attending his shows and “laughing the hardest” at his jokes.

Dorman then apparently thanked the comedian for “normalising transgenders”.

Before she embarked on a comedy career, the Philadelphia-born entertainer was an accomplished software engineer.

Anyone seeking support or help can contact the Samaritans on their 24-hour helpline on 116 123 .

You can also email jo@samaritans.org, visit a Samaritans branch in person or go to the Samaritans website.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in