Royce White believes that his famous fear of flying was actually caused by a "transgender trapped inside" of him.
Wearing a wig, the former NBA player dropped the claim on his “Free People Radio” podcast. The recent statement came in the wake of his recent shocking declaration to enter the WNBA Draft and announcement that he is transgender.
“I realized my fear of flying really wasn't a fear of flying," White said, "It was the transgender trapped inside of me, caged inside of me, that gave me an aversion to small spaces.”
Royce White claims fear of flying connected to being transgender
Royce White has a heavily documented phobia of flying. His severe aviophobia and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) were the primary reasons his NBA career ended prematurely after being drafted the No. 16 pick in the 2012 draft, where he only played three games amid a strong refusal to travel on team flights for the Houston Rockets.
“I think there are plenty of people out there who have a transgender trapped deep down inside of them,” White added, “and so they think they’re claustrophobic. ... Not really claustrophobic. It’s the transgender that’s trapped.”
Along with Enes Kanter, who already made his WNBA Draft entry official, White continues to generate headlines amid public political stunts to contest the women's league in defining player eligibility based on sex per the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
Commissioner Cathy Engelbert already informed WNBA teams that the league is now in broader talks on transgender eligibility rules. The league plans to consult with teams and the players' union moving forward regarding the issue.