Laverne Cox Says Two Famous Rappers Tried To Shoot Their Shot, Why She Says One Was A “Dodged Bullet”

Laverne Cox had Keke Palmer’s jaw on the floor after opening up about some unexpected attention she says she’s received from two very famous rappers behind the scenes.

via: Baller Alert

Laverne Cox has apparently caught the attention of more than a few famous men, and she just revealed that two rappers once tried to take things beyond a casual celebrity encounter. During the September 1 episode of “Baby, This Is Keke Palmer,” Cox opened up to Keke Palmer about her dating life while discussing her memoir, “Transcendent.” The episode touched on everything from dating apps and past relationships to two years of celibacy, but Cox’s stories about rappers pursuing her quickly became one of the conversation’s most intriguing moments.

Cox said there have been two rappers who made their interest known, including one who began flirting with her around the time she was first becoming widely recognized.

According to Cox, the rapper was initially very enthusiastic whenever the two crossed paths.

“He was cute, and I was open to it,” Cox told Palmer.

She recalled repeatedly running into him before noticing that his flirtatious energy suddenly disappeared. Cox believed he may have started dating someone else around that time, though she made it clear that she did not know exactly what changed.

The second rapper, however, apparently made a much stronger impression.

Cox said the encounter happened around 2015 and recalled being with girlfriends when the famous rapper began heavily flirting with her. Her friends noticed it too, telling her it was obvious that he wanted her.

Eventually, he asked for her phone number.

Cox admitted the man was attractive and had impressive game, but she was not interested in making the pursuit easy.

“If you really want it, you can find it,” she remembered telling him.

https://youtu.be/qEy3mpML4Yg?si=ZdwSev747ozy1msm

Palmer jokingly questioned how the rapper was supposed to accomplish that, prompting Cox to point out that he could have found another way to contact her, including sending a direct message.

For Cox, though, the hesitation went deeper than playing hard to get.

She said she was thinking about what dating such a famous rapper could mean for her own identity and career. At the time, Cox worried she could become known primarily for being romantically attached to him instead of for her own work. More importantly, she questioned whether the rapper would actually be willing to date her openly.

That concern has been a recurring theme in Laverne Cox’s dating history.

In a 2020 interview with Metro Weekly about dating in Hollywood, Cox said she knew of men in the entertainment industry who privately dated transgender women but would not openly approach her because they did not want others knowing about their attraction. She described dating after becoming famous as still being difficult despite her visibility and success.

Her standards were already clear years earlier. In a 2017 discussion about dating, Cox said she had stopped focusing on getting men to like her and instead began asking whether she actually liked them and whether they were interested in the authentic version of her.

Cox later had a public relationship with Kyle Draper that lasted nearly two years before the couple announced their breakup in June 2019. Cox said the relationship had shown her that she was capable of experiencing love built on respect, trust, and affection.

Another major relationship began in 2020. Cox told “The Viall Files” in 2024 that she had recently ended a relationship with an unnamed boyfriend after nearly four years together. Cox said she originally expected the connection to remain casual but eventually believed the man might become her forever partner.

Cox has since revealed more about that relationship while promoting “Transcendent.” During a June 2026 appearance on “The View,” she discussed discovering that the man was an NYPD officer with MAGA-aligned political views, information she said she did not know when they first connected. Cox ultimately said their values were incompatible.

That history makes her rapper story less about celebrity gossip and more about the boundaries Cox has built around being pursued.

She told Palmer that the second rapper never managed to take things any further. Looking back, Cox believes that was probably for the best.

“Rejection is God’s protection, girl,” she said. “I dodged a bullet.”

Even if the rapper had gotten through, Cox insisted access to her would not have been automatic.

“He would have had to take me out and treat me right,” she said.

For anyone hoping Cox will eventually reveal exactly which rappers were involved, she offered no names. And until she does, anything beyond the details she shared with Palmer would be speculation.