# Was Jaimie Lee Curtis born a hermaphrodite? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 13, 2003, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-jaimie-lee-curtis-born-a-hermaphrodite/148403 "2003-01-13T23:26:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2003, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-jaimie-lee-curtis-born-a-hermaphrodite/148403/21 "2003-01-14T01:55:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Susanann \* > \*\*According to the Discovery Channel, other documentaries, most biology teachers, and many other things I read and saw… \*\* Would there be any non-anecdotal evidence to any of this which you would share with me here? ---
**Author:** ![Philosophocles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b38774/32.png) [@Philosophocles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philosophocles)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2003, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-jaimie-lee-curtis-born-a-hermaphrodite/148403/22 "2003-01-14T02:25:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by maralinn \* > \*\*“Most biology teachers”?? How many have you talked to? \*\* Four out of five biology teachers recommend Jamie Lee Curtis to their students who chew gum. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2003, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-jaimie-lee-curtis-born-a-hermaphrodite/148403/23 "2003-01-14T02:32:52Z")
If she is the product of corrective surgery, she definitely got her money’s worth. Yowza! ---
**Author:** ![Pablito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@Pablito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pablito)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2003, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-jaimie-lee-curtis-born-a-hermaphrodite/148403/24 "2003-01-14T03:02:32Z")
The snopes article, referenced first by **Mangetout** and within a mere 4 minutes of the OP, treats this question pretty well. [aside] Some of the subsequent comments in this thread make me wonder if the posters bothered to follow the link provided. [/aside] The only thing I would add that the snopes article doesn’t state the case as strongly as it might, beginning the discussion with a very weak: “We may never know.” For the benefit of those who remain determined to cling to this ill-gotten smear campaign, I’d add a line that says something like “Although we’re unlikely ever to have visual proof that confirms or denies this rumor, there is absolutely no evidence AT ALL to believe the Jamie Lee is anything other than female.” If you want to learn more about this condition without wading through medical journals or scholarly articles or waiting for the next broadcast of the right Discovery channel show, I’d recommend Jeffrey Eugenides’ recent (2002) novel, “Middlesex,” whose first person narrator is ‘intersex’, as a result of androgen insensitivity. As a 40-year-old male, the narrator recounts her family history, the gene responsible for the condition, and her experience growing up as a female with no suspicions to the contrary until age 14. Makes for a good read and may help to disabuse you of any lingering obsessions you have about Jamie Lee. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2003, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-jaimie-lee-curtis-born-a-hermaphrodite/148403/25 "2003-01-14T03:18:22Z")
> [@](#): > > According to the Discovery Channel, other documentaries, most biology teachers, and many other things I read and saw, Jamie was born with XY chromosones, and is, therefore, according to the World Olympics committe, a male. > \ > The doctors offices leaked out that she had xy chromosones. Rather than just an inspecific request of “cite”, I would like to request (1) the name and date of the program on the Discovery Channel (2) the names of some of the “other documentaries” (3) the names of the magazine articles (and magazine and date) or newspaper articles (and paper and date) or books that reported this “fact” and (4) the place that the doctor’s office leaked to (paper and date of article or magazine and date of article or channel and date of news broadcast). ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2003, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-jaimie-lee-curtis-born-a-hermaphrodite/148403/26 "2003-01-14T03:28:54Z")
My graduate and undergraduate work was in sexual differentiation. I was at a conference on sexual differentiation with many of the notable professors in the field about 7 years ago. We were out drinking after the conference one night when this subject came up. Many of the “experts” swore that this rumor is true. What does this mean? Nothing except that even respected researchers in sexual differentiation do indeed believe this and at least one that I know brings it up in his undergraduate classes. That doesn’t mean that it is true in the least but it does lend credit to the claim that students heard it from their professors in a biology class or other related discipline. Urban legend or not, many educated people are more likely to believe this rumor when they hear from a professor in the field. ---
**Author:** ![RedFury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ec9cab/32.png) [@RedFury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedFury)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2003, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-jaimie-lee-curtis-born-a-hermaphrodite/148403/27 "2003-01-14T03:50:23Z")
> [@](#): > > Uh, do you have a cite for that XY chromosome claim, Susanann? Well, I am certainly not Susanann, nor do I make any claims as to the validity of these sites (didn’t sift through them), but there are indeed a few references made to JLC having been born with XY chromosomes. [Jamie Lee Curtis + XY Chromosomes](http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=Jamie+Lee+Curtis+%2B+XY+chromosomes) True, rumor, nasty gossip, as Snopes says, I doubt anyone but her closest relatives and doctors know for sure. Doesn’t make any difference to me. She identifies herself as a woman, and I find the evidence put forth, er…eye-popping? Methinks it’s time to rent “True Lies” again 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2003, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-jaimie-lee-curtis-born-a-hermaphrodite/148403/28 "2003-01-14T04:41:06Z")
I have to preface this by asking: Why the heck would anyone care if Jamie Lee Curtis has XY chromosomes. The reason I ask is: 1. She lives as a woman 2. She dresses like a woman 3. She LOOKS like a woman (A really hot woman, by most accounts). As far as I’m concerned, she’s a woman. That being said, one of the reasons I had heard for people spreading this (In my opinion) malicious rumour, is jealousy. Jamie Lee Curtis is hot. She’s in her 40’s and has a body that I didn’t even have in my 20’s when I was working out twice a day. She’s been a sex symbol for almost 30 years. She looks good. People get jealous of that - either because they don’t look like that, or can’t date someone who does. As far as I’m concerned, the rumour should be treated as totally false, until Ms. Curtis decides to tell the world otherwise. Al. Sorry for the sanctimoniousness, but this has always cheesed me off. People sprouting “Cites” and “Proof”, when really the only substantial thing they have is a bad attitude. And no, I am not refering to any of you folks that actually linked to a web site, or did a little reading before making your posts. ---
**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2003, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-jaimie-lee-curtis-born-a-hermaphrodite/148403/29 "2003-01-14T05:55:16Z")
About 1 in 2000 people are born with “sexually ambiguous genitalia.” There are a myriad of reasons for this but the one I’ve heard most in reference to the lovely actress is AIS. [http://www.ifas.org.au/congenital\_intersex.html](http://www.ifas.org.au/congenital_intersex.html) > [@](#): > > androgen insensitivity syndrome a genetic condition occurring in approximately 1 in 20,000 individuals, in which a fetus with male chromosomes lacks the capacity to respond to the male hormones its embryonic testes produce. As a result, the fetus often grows into an unusually beautiful woman, with long legs, clear skin, ample breasts and thick hair. A number of famous models and actresses are thought to have androgen insensitivity syndrome. Yet women with A.I.S. lack normal reproductive organs and are infertile. With AIS, the body’s cells fail to respond to testosterone and cannot absorb either fetal or pubertal androgens. > > Those with the complete form of AIS are born with XY (male) chromosomes, internal testes and female genitals. Their vaginas may be short or nearly absent, which is related to their absent uterus and cervix. However, because cells fail to respond to testosterone, there are no epididymis, vas deferens or seminal vessicles either. Without medical intervention, these children usually experience feminine puberty, because testes produce estrogen as well as testosterone. For this reason, AIS used to be labeled “testicular feminization.” ---
**Author:** ![ElwoodCuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/edb3f5/32.png) [@ElwoodCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElwoodCuse)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2003, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-jaimie-lee-curtis-born-a-hermaphrodite/148403/30 "2003-01-14T06:51:24Z")
Like the Tootsie Roll owl said, the world may never know. ---
**Author:** ![Sue\_Duhnym](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/91b2a8/32.png) [@Sue\_Duhnym](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sue_Duhnym)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2003, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-jaimie-lee-curtis-born-a-hermaphrodite/148403/31 "2003-01-14T06:58:52Z")
I don’t care what her chromosomes say, the _woman_ has an amazing body. Take a [look.](http://www.geocities.com/jamieleecurtis2/) ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2003, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-jaimie-lee-curtis-born-a-hermaphrodite/148403/32 "2003-01-14T07:37:42Z")
Unless you intend to get a lot closer than it is likely you ever will, what difference does it make? There used to be stories that Babe Didrickson Zaharias must be a man. A mere woman couldn’t possibly have such athletic talent! ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2003, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-jaimie-lee-curtis-born-a-hermaphrodite/148403/33 "2003-01-14T10:59:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sue Duhnym \* > \*\*I don’t care what her chromosomes say, the _woman_ has an amazing body. > > Take a [look.](http://www.geocities.com/jamieleecurtis2/) \*\* Don’t want to burst anyone’s bubble, but for at least 10 years, all pictures of her have been manipulated to some degree. As a part of her alcoholism therapy, she published pictures of herself as she really looks a few months ago. [Take a look.](http://www.aftonbladet.se/vss/kvinna/story/0,2789,198617,00.html) Not bad for a 43 year old woman, but hardly the perfect body we’re used to seeing. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2003, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-jaimie-lee-curtis-born-a-hermaphrodite/148403/34 "2003-01-14T11:02:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Susanann \* > \*\*According to the Discovery Channel, other documentaries, most biology teachers, and many other things I read and saw, Jamie was born with XY chromosones, and is, therefore, according to the World Olympics committe, a male. > > To me, I consider her a female, that is what Tony Curtis, Janet Leigh chose to raise her, and who she is choosing to live as. > > She looks very butch to me, with mannish features, and more so all the time. She looks like a man who has taken female hormones. See, the problem with this line of reasoning is that someone who actually is an “XY female” usually looks _more_ feminine than usual, not less. These women (despite their chromosomes, they ARE women) are, as has been mentioned, tall, with “flawless” skin, and ample female curves. While the hair on their heads is thick and full it is scanty or entirely absent elsewhere (armpits, crotch, legs) The do not exhibit unusual muscle development (in fact, they probably put muscle on slower than chromosomally normal women) You see, XX women also produce small amounts of testosterone and respond to it - XY women do not respond to testosterone _at all_. Pump an XX women full of testosterone she’ll not only grow muscles, she’ll wind up with a beard as well and a lower voice. Do that to an XY female and it will have no effect - she’ll still have that flawless skin, that hairless, chin, and her voice won’t change. Now, there ARE other conditions that can lead to “intersex”. I had a friend in high school who had the one where her adrenal glands overproduced testosterone - _she_ looked sort of mannish, no doubt the 5 o’clock shadow helped. (She got hormone treatments and electrolysis). Whether this was a life-long problem present from and involved surgery I never asked and frankly don’t care either way. IF Jamie Lee is intersex (which I highly doubt anyhow, just on lack of solid evidence) I’d say it’s more likely to be one of the adrenal gland based disorders rather than the XY female situation. However, it IS perfectly possible to be a very athletic, tall, long-legged, sexy woman _without_ having a disorder. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2003, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-jaimie-lee-curtis-born-a-hermaphrodite/148403/35 "2003-01-14T11:19:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Susanann \* > \*\*According to the Discovery Channel, other documentaries, most biology teachers, and many other things I read and saw, Jamie was born with XY chromosones, and is, therefore, according to the World Olympics committe, a male. > > To me, I consider her a female, that is what Tony Curtis, Janet Leigh chose to raise her, and who she is choosing to live as. > > She looks very butch to me, with mannish features, and more so all the time. She looks like a man who has taken female hormones. > > The doctors offices leaked out that she had xy chromosones. > > Jamie, with xy chromosones, cannot bear children, and therefore, adopted 2 chidren. > > As far as being a hemephrodite(having both sexes), that is just a rumor, and I dont believe so. She was not in the hospital very long as a baby, so if they did an operation to make her female , I dont know when it would have been done. In press releases and in the news, Jamie was announced as a “baby girl” as soon as she was born. \*\* As usual from susanann, we have a bunch of claims here without any corroboration. As usual, I do not expect her to provide any substantive support for those claims so I will not waste much time on them but I will just pick one: “The doctors offices leaked out that she had xy chromosones.” HUH? What doctors? When? Where was it published? I am sure they were subject to legal and disciplinary action. Please give us the details susanann. ---
**Author:** ![sugaree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@sugaree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sugaree)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2003, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-jaimie-lee-curtis-born-a-hermaphrodite/148403/36 "2003-01-14T11:21:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Priceguy \* > \*\*Don’t want to burst anyone’s bubble, but for at least 10 years, all pictures of her have been manipulated to some degree. As a part of her alcoholism therapy, she published pictures of herself as she really looks a few months ago. > > [Take a look.](http://www.aftonbladet.se/vss/kvinna/story/0,2789,198617,00.html) > > Not bad for a 43 year old woman, but hardly the perfect body we’re used to seeing. \*\* Was that for therapy? I saw the magazine article- the “undone” picture published above and the “after” picture, which was stunning. Man, I thought it was to give us all hope. ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2003, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-jaimie-lee-curtis-born-a-hermaphrodite/148403/37 "2003-01-14T11:47:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by sugaree \* > \*\*Was that for therapy? I saw the magazine article- the “undone” picture published above and the “after” picture, which was stunning. Man, I thought it was to give us all hope. \*\* Note: the “after” picture in the linked article was actually from the movie _Perfect_ and was taken in 1984 or 1985. It may well be real. Anyway, you’re not the only one on the “hope” angle. The last paragraph in the article translates thusly: > [@](#): > > - This is brave of Jamie. Many forget that Hollywood movies don’t portray real life, which leads to many women disliking themselves. Now, all these women have a friend in Jamie Lee Curtis. ---
**Author:** ![minty\_green](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@minty\_green](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minty_green)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2003, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-jaimie-lee-curtis-born-a-hermaphrodite/148403/38 "2003-01-14T13:08:31Z")
_The Straight Dope Tells All_, in which Cecil responds to message board questions about JLC’s supposed hermaphrodism: > [@](#): > > Fun’s fun, kids, but let’s get serious. The sole evidence for the belief that Jamie Lee Curtis suffers from hermaphroditism, testicular feminization, or what have you is that: > > 1. She has slim hips. > 2. Her kids are adopted. > > Not to cast aspersions on any of the contributors above, but they had better evidence at the Salem witchcraft trials. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2003, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-jaimie-lee-curtis-born-a-hermaphrodite/148403/39 "2003-01-14T13:32:12Z")
The comments by **Cecil Adams** on this topic can be found on p. 171 of [_The Straight Dope Tells All_](https://securesite.chireader.com/cgi-bin/dopestore/buystuff.bat#tsdta) > [@](#): > > Fun’s fun, kids, but let’s get serious. The sole evidence for the belief that Jamie Lee Curtis suffers from hermaphroditism, testicular feminization, or what have you is that: > > 1. She has slim hips. > 2. Her kids are adopted. > > Not to cast aspersions on any of the contributors above, but they had better evidence at the Salem witchcraft trials. I’m not about to call up Ms. Curtis and ask because, first, I would have every expectation of being told to buzz off; second, if she did answer and denied the story, no one would believe her; and third, it is no damn business of mine or yours anyway. > > Then again, maybe I’m just being old-fashioned. Maybe NOBODY should have secrets. Tell you what, Wheatley, pull down your pants and let Dr. Tyson take a look. Wheatley was a poster who was convinced JLC suffered from testicular feminization. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2003, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-jaimie-lee-curtis-born-a-hermaphrodite/148403/40 "2003-01-14T13:35:43Z")
I could have saved myself 24 minutes of index-searching and typing. :smack: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-jaimie-lee-curtis-born-a-hermaphrodite/148403.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-jaimie-lee-curtis-born-a-hermaphrodite/148403.md?page=3)