Naisha Ruzensky, 29, and Jayden Johnson, 30, of Orlando, Florida, met in high school and fell in love. About a year into their relationship, Johnson came out as transgender while they watched the reality show I Am Jazz. Ruzensky chose to stay, and the couple married in 2019, later welcoming two sons via sperm donor—a journey they share openly despite facing death threats and online harassment.

An Orlando high school romance that survived a 2014 coming-out moment

Ruzensky and Johnson were introduced by her cousin in high school. About a year into their romance, Johnson suddenly turned to Ruzensky while they were lying in bed watching I Am Jazz and said, “I am transgender.” According to the Daily Mail , Ruzensky admitted it was “definitely a bit shocking” and that the first conversations about Johnson’s identity were “not very pleasant.” Yet she never considered leaving him. “It was never an option really for me to leave because I just knew him as a person and knew that everything would be OK,” she told the outlet.

Johnson, who had grown up in a religious household and initially came out as a lesbian, had long suppressed his feelings. Ruzensky noted that his parents “always made him feel ashamed” and that coming out as trans would “add fuel to the already burning fire of his childhood.” The couple’s bond held through Johnson’s hormone therapy and transition surgery,with Ruzensky describing the process as something they faced togteher.

Why 5-year-old Jax is already learning about his father's transition

After marrying in 2019, the couple used a sperm donor to welcome their two sons, Jax, now five, and Atlas, one. As reported by the Daily Mail, they have begun having conversations with Jax about Johnson being transgender. “Kids are very adaptable,” Ruzensky said. “If you make something normalized, they tend to have less questions and they are way more accepting than adults.” The couple plans to remain fully transparent with their children, a choice that reflects their broader mission of normalizing transgender identity wihin their family.

The death threats and the ‘block and delete’ strategy

Sharing their story online has brought intense scrutiny. Ruzensky told the Daily Mail, “We do get a lot of heat online… My husband has received death threats before, but we have learned to just block out the noise.” She described their response as “just a block and delete,” occasionally throwing a “snarky comment” back. Despite the harassment, the couple remains committed to honesty. “We have helped so many people … so it makes it worth it,” Ruzensky added.

How Johnson’s religious parents reacted to his transition remains untold

The source details Johnson’s childhood in a “very religious household” and the difficulty his parents had accepting his initial coming out as a lesbian. However, the Daily Mail report does not cover how his family responded to his transition or whether they are involved in the lives of Jax and Atlas. Also absent is any discussion of how the children may navigate questions or potential stigma at school. These open questions highlight the broader social challenges that often accompany such family transitions—challenges the couple faces largely outside the public narrative.