1. Where It All Began
The story starts in Brazil where Rodrigo Alves was born on June 30, 1983 to a Britsih father and Brazillian mother. Since Alves was a child, he felt ugly and misshapen because of the high beauty standards in Brazil.
Alves found solace in playing with Barbie dolls that his grandfather bought him, and he dressed up like his dolls for fun.
2. Insecurities From Bullying
In school, Alves was bullied every day, and his parents weren't vigilant to stop it. He would pray that something would change and things would get better because he couldn't handle any more mean comments from classmates.
At 13, he was sexually abused by classmates, and he couldn't defend himself because he was weak and more feminine. He thought that changing himself to look more masculine would stop those things from happening.
3. Childhood Trauma
When Rodrigo was just 17 years old, he underwent his first surgery to have his "man boobs" removed. He had a condition called gynecomastia, which caused a hormone dysfunction leading to the development of male breast tissue.
Alves wanted to leave Brazil because he still didn't feel like he fit in, so he moved to his father's home country, England, to start university when he was 19.
4. Wanting The Perfect Male Body
Alves started studying at London College for a degree in public relations. The people who attended the university were very posh, and he still felt like the fat boy from Brazil.
Luckily, his grandparents were wealthy and left him a large inheritance, so he used it to reinvent himself. He had always desired the perfect male body with abs and a chiseled jaw, but it seemed like he didn't want to obtain it the natural way.
5. Beginning Of "The Human Ken Doll"
After his breast surgery, Alves decided to get pec implant and a fake six-pack. He wanted the body of a male model and that came with a hefty price tag.
These two surgeries along with some liposuction cost him almost $40,000. With just one surgery, things were already starting to get expensive.
6. Plastic Perfection
It was like an addiction, once he started seeing the results of plastic surgery, Alves couldn't stop. He got a hair transplant, liposuction to his jaw, and he got his ears pinned back.
Rodrigo was well on his way to becoming one of the dolls he used to admire as a child, but he wasn't ready for his surgeries to slow down just yet.
7. Major Complications
Rodrigo was always embarrassed by his nose, and as a child, he was often made fun of for it. The bullies would call him "potato nose," and they shove him into the toilets in the school bathroom. To fix his nose, he had a staggering ten nose jobs.
In 2010, he was rushed to the hospital because of a flesh-eating infection on his nose. This left him unable to breathe, and he had to have emergency surgery. He was featured on the show Botched on E! and the doctors told him if he kept trying to change his nose it would fall off because the tissue will die.
8. Major Surgeries That Could Have Killed Him
Since Alves could no longer have surgery on his nose, he moved his attention to other parts of his body. He decided to get four ribs removed so that his waist would have a more feminine look to it. These surgeries are extremely dangerous because your ribs protect your vital organs and without them, you are susceptible to more injuries.
Along with his ribs, he also had surgery to make his arms more prominent, which resulted in this arms being paralyzed for an entire month. The doctors considered amputation, but he eventually regained feeling.
9. A Diagnosis That Would Change His Life
Rodrigo realized something was wrong because no matter how many surgeries he was having, he still didn't feel happy with himself. Alves decided to see a psychologist, and he finally received a diagnosis for what he was dealing with.
The psychologist diagnosed him with body dysmorphic disorder, which is quite common in today's times. This meant that Alves would see physical flaws in himself that others couldn't see. Although he finally was able to figure out his problem, this didn't stop him from continuing with medical procedures.
10. Fill Er' Up
After his nose was healed a little more, Alves continued to improve his face. He had $9,000 worth of filler and botox injected into his face.
If that wasn't enough, Alves went ahead and had a facelift. He once said, "I would rather be a sexy old lady than a saggy old man."
11. Being Recognized All Over The World
Rodrigo didn't think he would become "The Human Ken Doll," but the transformation happened as a result of multiple rounds of surgery. He was happy to become a celebrity, but he soon realized he wasn't getting the attention he wanted.
People were calling him a freak and a clown, and many people were questioning why he did this to himself. So far, he had already spent around $512,000 on surgery, and this attention caused his psychological issues to worsen.
12. New Opportunities
As he started to get recognized all over the world, Alves was receiving more opportunities to travel and appear on TV. He was starting to be followed by paparazzi and talk shows wanted to interview him.
In one interview he stated that everyone should be free to do whatever they want in life and his decision to reinvent himself should not bother anyone else.
13. What Is The Price Of Beauty?
As we said earlier, Alves has had complications with his surgeries, but that hasn't slowed him down. He admitted that he gets nervous about new surgeries because the risk is higher each time.
While he is scared and has been warned to stop for his own health, Alves was still determined to become the person he had always envisioned.
14. Reality TV Stint
Celebrity Big Brother is a British TV show that cuts celebrities off from the outside world, and Rodrigo got the opportunity to appear on the show. He has a larger than life personality, so it made for entertaining TV.
His time in the Big Brother house did not last long as he was booted out. He claimed he missed his home and phone, and that he didn't fit in with his housemates.
15. He Spent How Much?!?
At this point, you might have lost track of which surgeries Alves had, and how much they cost, so let's add everything up. To become "The Human Ken Doll," he spent a whopping $612,000 in total.
Rodrigo had hair implants, ten nose jobs, botox and fillers, pec implants, arm fillers, a six-pack, leg lipo, and calf shaping. He also had liposuction on his jaw and a jaw implant.
16. Working On HIs Own Happiness Was A Battle
It was at this point that he had done everything he could to look more masculine, but he still wasn't happy. After spending so much money to look like this macho man, he still felt a strong sadness inside.
Alves tried to work through these problems, but he noticed himself becoming jealous of women's appearances. It was a different feeling because he just wanted to be masculine.
17. A Defining Moment
After years of having this internal battle, Rodrigo finally had an epiphany. He had a significant realization when he was in New York for a photoshoot, and someone gave him a dress to try on for fun. Things suddenly became apparent when he put on the dress.
Alves brought home the women's clothing from the photoshoot and started dressing up at home. He felt beautiful for the first time in years. After this realization, he decided to see another psychologist.
18. Saying Good Bye To Rodrigo
Rodrigo visited the psychologist and psychiatrist, and within a month, he was diagnosed with gender dysmorphic disorder. He was then given the option to start the appropriate medication to begin transitioning.
After playing with dolls as a child and having an obsession with Disney princesses, it all made sense to him. He said he thought like a woman and acted like a woman his whole life because deep inside, he knew that was his truth.
19. Saying Hello To Roddy
Rodrigo was saying goodbye to his former self to welcome the woman he always knew he was. He came to terms with being transgender and decided to transition fully. Instead of Rodrigo, she now goes by the name Roddy.
While people would call her a "Ken Doll," inside, she always related more to the Barbies. It was as if her physical appearance finally matched the way she felt her whole life.
20. More Medical Procedures
Transitioning does not happen overnight, and Roddy had to mentally prepare for the challenging process of transitioning and the medical procedures that came with it. Since she had previously put herself through so many procedures, it was nerve-racking to see if her body could handle any more.
Roddy had hormone injections, extensive plastic surgeries, hair extensions, and eyelash extensions to begin with, and her body adapted well to all these changes because she had always produced more estrogen naturally.
21. Finally Living Her Truth
After making the physical transition, Roddy said that this was an exciting time in her life because she had been living as a woman for three months behind closed doors.
She would go to the hair and nail salon and get all her beauty treatments as well as buying dresses and lingerie, but she didn't want to share it with the world right away.
22. The Big Reveal
Coming out is never easy. It is a huge decision, and Roddy took her time to announce her transition because she wanted to prepare mentally. Her whole life, she was called a weirdo and a freak, so she could only imagine what people would say about her now.
The bullying from her past caused Alves to try and be more masculine her entire life, and it destroyed her confidence. As time had progressed, people became more accepting of her lifestyle, and she was no longer afraid to tell the world.
23. The Public's Reaction
When Alves finally revealed to the world that she was transgender, she received mixed reactions. Obviously, there were haters and trolls, but she was surprised by how many positive messages she received.
Roddy was finally receiving the attention she had always wanted. Men were desirably looking at her, and she couldn't get enough of the attention. Women were also asking where she bought her clothes, and it gave her a confidence boost.
24. Answering Some Interesting Questions
Many people assumed Roddy had been gay when she was a man, but she says she was never gay. She had realized that she was always a straight woman on the inside, and she was attracted to straight men.
When she was younger, she never felt like she identified with the gay scene, and that has not changed. She is looking to date and wants to share her story with the world to help other people feeling the same way.
25. "I Don't Care What People Think"
After years of hating herself and not feeling confident, she finally was enjoying life. Roddy felt like this is who she was always meant to be, and she didn't care what anyone had to say about it.
Alves said she would never have been able to go through this process a few years ago, but the timing just felt right, and she believes it happened for a reason.
26. Will The Surgeries Ever End?
Although Roddy is much happier than she has ever been, her plastic surgery journey is far from over. She wants to have surgery to feminize her face. This includes an invasive procedure that will reshape her forehead, lift her eyes, lips, and the rest of her face.
She also wants to get breast implants and have her Adam's apple removed. Also, Roddy is planning to have gender reassignment surgery. Doctors are nervous because of what she has done to her body in the past, and her mother is concerned about her health.
27. Roddy's Mother Is Concerned
Roddy's mother is fully supportive of her decisions and supports her transition, but she is nervous from a health standpoint. Her mother is worried that Roddy's body won't be able to handle more procedures.
Roddy has already had 72 plastic surgeries, and it will be risky to go under the knife again.
28. Could She Have An Addiction?
As Roddy found out earlier in her life, she has body dysmorphia. Although she is much happier as a female, that does not mean those thoughts abut her body have gone away. She has a constant need for plastic surgery, and that could be an underlying addiction.
Roddy has to put in the work to fix herself internally because she won't be able to handle more medical treatments. Self-acceptance is not just about the way people look, but it is also about our mental state as well.
29. The Past Coming Back To Haunt Her
While many people have accepted Roddy in a positive way, that doesn't mean her past will not come up in conversation anymore. Her past comments came up recently from her time on Celebrity Big Brother.
It was revealed that Roddy was forced to leave the house because she made racial slurs when talking about African-American men. She has since apologized for these comments.
30. A Surprising Net Worth
As the world's "Human Ken Doll" and now a self-proclaimed Barbie doll, has racked up quite the net worth for a "C-List Celebrity." According to Spears, a financial website, Roddy is worth a cool $37 million.
Considering she is not a singer, actor, or comedian, she is worth a lot more money than we thought.
31. Everyday Is A New Adventure
Each day is new and exciting for Roddy because she is finally living her best life. She has been waiting to feel like this since she was little, and her dreams are coming true.
Roddy gets to try new fashion styles and wear all the dressed she has always wanted to wear in public.
32. Still A World Wide Name
Roddy has only become more recognizable worldwide because her transition was such a shock to so many people.
No one thought that after trying to look so masculine for her whole life, she would transition to become a woman.
33. Roddy Isn't The Only Human Ken Doll. Meet Justin Jedlica
Justin Jedlica is referred to as "The Human Ken Doll" by the media, and he has also had cosmetic procedures to enhance his body. He considers his body a work of art.
He never intended to be called a "Ken Doll," but he is proud to be plastic, and he won't change for anyone.
34. Life Of Luxury
Since he didn't choose the title of the "Human Ken Doll," he has had to embrace the attention he gets because of it. He had always been interesting in sculpting and painting the human form and he wanted to fully embody that.
Justin feels privileged to be able to afford all his surgeries and make himself into a human caricature.
35. The First Cut Is The Deepest
Like Roddy, Justin had his first surgery when he was 18. He had a nose job, but his parents and doctor did not approve of his decision. He wanted to have a pinched nose like Michael Jackson.
Justin had been wanting a nose job since he had been 14 but had to wait till he was older so he wouldn't need parental consent.
36. What's Next?
Justin has had 580 procedures and surgeries, and he has spent around $600,000. He does not plan to stop anytime soon because he wants to perfect his aesthetic.
Now that he has fully embraced his place as "The Human Ken Doll," he wants to continue on his plastic surgery journey.
37. While There Are Two Human Ken Dolls, There Is Also A Human Barbie, Valeria Lukyanova
The Ukrainian barbie doll real name, Valeria Lukyanova, was born in 1985 to Moldovan parents in an area called Tiraspol. She developed a strong affection for barbie dolls right from childhood and had a great stock of them.
Unlike most kids, her affection for her dolls did not wane even when she reached adolescence and adulthood. Her love was so strong that she began to picture herself as a barbie doll and began to take steps towards achieving the goal of looking exactly like one.
38. Sculpting Her body
Many models are thin, and it was nothing new. The issue with Valeria's thinness was that unlike the others, she looked different in one significant way. She seemed to be missing some ribs based on the shape of her body.
The critics motivated by Valeria's continual denial went the extra mile by referring to Valeria's bikini pictures showing her huge boobs and tiny waist as further proof of their allegations. For instance, the large breast had no upper ribs to support them, and her waist seems to disappear inward; this was biologically impossible.
39. Unnatural Looks
Valeria constantly fought off criticisms of her look, steadfastly claiming her looks were all natural even though her looks suggested otherwise.
She only admitted to getting a boob job initially, but since criticisms of her look persisted, she finally admitted to getting other procedures done as well and had an interview where she said she is finally done with improving her body parts surgically.