'Are You The One?' Star Kai Wes Opens Up About His Transition on the MTV Reality Series

MTV has made history. Are You The One? is back for an all-new season, but for the first time, the show features a cast of 16 sexually fluid individuals. While it has been teased that there will be a slew of hookups, the cast members will also have to work toward finding their “perfect match.” Because if they succeed, they’ll split a grand prize of $1 million.  

During the Season 8 premiere, Kai Wes bonded with housemate Jenna Brown, opening up about his experience living as a transperson. After Jenna offered her emotional support toward Kai while he took hormone injections, the 26-year-old later confessed: “She makes me feel good about myself." Adding, “I hope she’s my match.” So, who is Kai from Are You The One?

"I am a queer, trans-masculine, non-binary human whom has chosen to medically transition," the reality star said in his introduction clip, adding that his pronouns of choice are he/him and they/them. 

Kai continued, "Non-binary means that I don't prescribe to either male or female, I'm somewhere in between. I, biologically, was female, but when I was born, nobody consulted me and was like, 'Hey, do you like this name? Does this gender feel right for you?' All of a sudden, it clicked for me that the box wasn't locked. I could step outside the box and be like, 'Okay wait — I'm allowed to choose.'" 

Viewers watched during the Season 8 premiere as the Rhode Island native opened up about his transition to cameras. However, if you stalked his Instagram (like we did), you’d see that the MTV star is very transparent when talking about his transition. Most recently, Kai posted a before-and-after photo, showing off his body from three years ago. “Can’t believe I lived as the version of myself in the left photo for so long because the right side feels so ... right,” he captioned the collage comparing a photo of his chest from 2016 and 2019.

He continued, “Posting this doesn’t make me feel super comfy, but what’s more important to me is visibility and the reminder that change does happen if you’re willing to put in the work. Never thought I’d have the masculine figure I longed for, bleached hair, tattoos, or any of it really. Crazy how life works out when you choose yourself.” We applaud Kai for his openness and vulnerability. 

According to Vice, Kai describes himself as a “jack of all trades” and works in a creative capacity. "In the age of being a millennial, turning to social media really helped me find the community that I was looking for," he told the outlet.  

The 26-year-old received a B.A. in film from Emerson College in 2014. Kai currently has an acting profile on Backstage, which reveals he’s also into modeling and sports/fitness. The rising star boasts more than 20,000 followers on his Instagram. By lending a voice to the LGBTQ+ community through his own personal experiences, we can definitely see this AYTO castmate becoming a social media influencer.

Catch new episodes of Are You The One? Come One Come All on Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET on MTV.