Celebrity Family Feud has always focused on putting famous people in the hot seat and enabling them to participate for a good cause. The popular ABC game show, presented by the always entertaining Steve Harvey, pits celebrity teams against one another as they guess responses to interesting and often amusing survey questions to win money for their preferred charities.
In a recent episode of Celebrity Family Feud, Laverne Cox demonstrated charm and purpose onstage. The Emmy-nominated actress, well known for her breakout role as Sophia Burset on Orange Is the New Black, battled against an all-trans squad for a good cause.
Cox, with a net worth of 6 million dollars (according to Celebrity Net Worth), made history as the first transgender artist nominated for a Primetime Emmy. She has since used her position to push for equality and visibility. Her participation on Celebrity Family Feud was no exception, demonstrating once more that she is both a great performer and a force for change.
The show's concept allows actors like Cox to express themselves outside their normal roles. It's lighthearted, team-oriented entertainment that shows audiences another side of their favorite celebs.
Laverne Cox’s Celebrity Family Feud team, career journey, and more
Laverne Cox just led an unforgettable team of trailblazing trans women on Celebrity Family Feud and made TV history. The Emmy-nominated actress teamed up with TS Madison, Mila Jam, Joslyn De Freece, and RuPaul’s Drag Race fan favorite Miss Peppermint for a special episode of the beloved ABC game show. Together, they played for charity while delivering nonstop laughs, unforgettable moments, and a lot of heart.
Their opponents were none other than Team Diplo, led by the chart-topping DJ and featuring a crew of TV personalities. But the spotlight was firmly on Laverne’s team as they made waves as the show’s first all-trans women's team in its 11-season run. Hosted by Steve Harvey, the episode balanced comedy with a powerful cause. The team played to raise $25,000 for the TS Madison Starter House, a reentry support program for formerly incarcerated Black trans women. The initiative, launched with NAESM (the National AIDS Education & Services for Minorities), aims to provide housing and support for women rebuilding their lives.
But the meaningful mission didn’t stop the crew from having a blast. One hilarious moment saw TS Madison leaving Steve Harvey completely speechless when he asked if she ever shortens her name.
“Of course, I take it short or long. We’re free-balling today, all day!” she quipped.
It was a night full of laughs, heart, and historic representation when Laverne Cox and her all-trans team took the stage on Celebrity Family Feud. Fans of Celebrity Family Feud are already calling it one of the show’s most iconic episodes ever, and it’s just another milestone in Cox’s trailblazing career.
Laverne’s journey in the entertainment world began in 2008, with early TV appearances on Law & Order and Law & Order: SVU. Laverne Cox's big break didn't come from auditions or agents. It came from reality TV drama. She competed on VH1's I Want to Work for Diddy, which sounds exactly as chaotic as you'd expect. But that wild ride paid off when VH1 gave her TRANSform Me, making her the first Black transgender woman to star in and produce her own show. Talk about turning reality TV chaos into actual power moves.
Then Netflix came calling with Orange Is the New Black, and everything changed. Cox's portrayal of Sophia Burset wasn't just acting. It was groundbreaking television that actually mattered. She snagged Emmy nominations and helped rewrite the rulebook on how trans characters should be written and portrayed. The show ran for seven seasons, earned her two SAG Awards with the cast, and basically made her a household name.
Post-OITNB, Cox kept the momentum rolling. She popped up everywhere from the awkward comedy gold of Curb Your Enthusiasm to the social commentary of Dear White People. Her film work has been equally impressive. She held her own in Promising Young Woman and shared scenes with legends like Lily Tomlin in Grandma. Not bad for someone who started out trying to work for Diddy.
Outside of acting, Cox has built a powerful brand. She made headlines in 2015 as the first transgender actress to pose nude for Allure and has since been on the covers of magazines such as Time, British Vogue, and Entertainment Weekly.
With an estimated net worth of $6 million, Cox’s income comes from more than just acting. She's modelled, collaborated with businesses, and made savvy decisions behind the camera. Her Emmy-winning documentary, Laverne Cox Presents: The T Word, demonstrated her ability as a producer as well as her dedication to conveying true, meaningful experiences.
The cultural impact of the Celebrity Family Feud appearance and activism
Laverne Cox may be lighting up our screens on Celebrity Family Feud, but her impact reaches far beyond the buzzers and survey cards. Sure, she’s a household name, a red carpet regular, and sitting on a comfy $6 million net worth, but it’s her work off-screen that truly sets her apart.
Laverne Cox, throughout her career, has always used her platform to speak out and advocate for marginalized communities. She has been a powerful voice for LGBTQ+ rights since her career started taking off. Back in 2014, she stood tall at rallies protesting an Arizona law targeting trans women of color.
And in 2017, she teamed up with the ACLU to create educational materials on trans history and the political challenges of the community. Her efforts earned her the GLAAD Stephen F. Kolzak Award, the Transgender Law Center’s Claire Skiffington Vanguard Award, and even an honorary degree from The New School, recognizing her cultural impact well beyond Hollywood.
When she made an appearance on Celebrity Family Feud, it turned out to be far better than another night of just games, which her team managed to excel at whilst consistently winning laughs from the audience. She uses her visibility to support meaningful causes, causes that make a genuine difference in the lives of queer kids and adults everywhere, who are normally marginalized by mainstream media.
Laverne Cox’s voice is a consistent reminder that trans representation in the mainstream is more than just achievable, as seen on Celebrity Family Feud; it’s necessary, influential, and meant to be the norm.
You can watch Celebrity Family Feud live on ABC (Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT) or stream it the next day on Hulu.