The beauty influencer was born in São Paulo, Brazil, after her parents attempted an abortion too late. She was later diagnosed with Hanhart Syndrome, a rare condition that meant she was born without any of her limbs.
After her birth parents abandoned her, Briel was adopted by a family in Utah and moved to the United States. She grew up as a man before beginning her transition into a woman a few years ago, and she has since shared parts of that journey with her followers.
Across her videos, which reach more than five million people on TikTok and more than one million on Instagram, Briel speaks with a lot of honesty about her life. She talks about beauty, marriage, disability, independence, and the daily challenges that can come with having no limbs.
How Briel told her husband she planned to transition
In a video shared last year, Briel said: “I started my transition a year after we got married, right?”
Adam replied: “I think so, but you told me way before everybody else.”
Briel continued: “Yeah, I had also told him a little bit before we got married, too that I was having feelings about it, but I just wasn’t sure if it was something I was comfortable with, actually fully going into and just keeping suppressed. And if he was comfortable with it and everything.”
“I already started a few things behind the scenes.”
Adam, who often appears in Briel’s videos, has also spoken about the early days of their relationship. On their first date at a board games cafe, he showed what Briel described as “initiative” by helping her play, and he later explained why Briel’s transition did not change how he felt about her.
‘I fell in love with her and not what she was, just who she was’
He said: “I’m very happy that she found who she is. And I’ve seen a big difference in her happiness and confidence and everything.”
“But I mean, I fell in love with her and not what she was, just who she was.”
Adam also spoke in a very open way about the adjustment period. He said he wanted to support Briel, but there were parts of the change that took time to learn in day-to-day life, adding: “It was hard going from like pronouns for more than one reason.”
“And so it was really confusing to use one thing at home and another [outside their home]. And then as soon as I got the pronouns under control, she changed her name and then started wearing wigs.”
“It was just a lot of learning, learning, learning, learning, learning. But it was a good journey. She was patient with me.”
Their comments also show that the change was not handled in one single moment. It came with small steps, private talks, new pronouns, a new name, and changes in how Briel chose to present herself.
By sharing that side of their marriage, the couple has given followers a closer look at how they worked through a major life change together. Adam has made clear that, for him, the person he loved was still the same person, even as Briel became more open about who she was.
