Pop star Kim Petras has joined the ranks of global icons with her very own wax figure at Madame Tussauds Berlin, making her only the second trans woman in the museum’s 200-year history to receive the honour.
“The highlight of my career has been my wax figure at Madame Tussauds, there’s no question about it,” Petras said in a video shared on Madame Tussauds Berlin’s website, which documented the process of her working with the museum’s expert technicians.
Petras, who sat for her waxwork in Los Angeles, spent four hours with the team as they took detailed measurements and references to ensure the final result looked just like her — and by all accounts, it does.
She now joins Orange Is the New Black star Laverne Cox, who in 2015 became the first trans person ever to have a Madame Tussauds wax figure. Cox unveiled her waxwork at the San Francisco location to launch that year’s Pride festivities, saying, “I am so deeply honoured to have been asked to be part of the Madame Tussauds legacy. I hope that this will be a source of inspiration for everyone who encounters it to believe that their dreams matter and are possible.”
Cox paved the way for Petras, who has become an international name, particularly following her hit “Unholy” with non-binary artist Sam Smith. The track won a Grammy for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, marking a significant milestone for both artists.
Petras, originally from Germany, made headlines when she medically transitioned at the age of 16, with global media at the time reporting she was the youngest person to undergo gender confirmation surgery. Reflecting on that period, she told reporters: “I was asked if I feel like a woman now – but the truth is I have always felt like a woman – I just ended up in the wrong body.”
Her wax figure, now proudly on display at Madame Tussauds Berlin, comes at a time when Petras continues to speak out about the growing challenges facing the trans community. She has expressed concern over increasing hostility and discrimination, saying she is “extremely alarmed” by society’s treatment of trans people amid a tense global political climate.
