Dominique Brebner, known professionally as Dominique Jackson and Tyra Allure Ross, is a Tobagonian-Americanactress, author, model, and reality television personality. As an actress, she is most known for her leading role of Elektra Abundance on the FX television series Pose. As a model, she has appeared in Vogue España.
Early life
Dominique Jackson was born on March 20, 1975 in Scarborough, Trinidad and Tobago. Although Jackson grew up with a grandmother that had "station," she still experienced a traumatic upbringing that included bullying and sexual abuse. She fled to the United States at the age of eighteen due to not being accepted as transgender by her family. During her time in the United States, Jackson has experienced homelessness and turned to sex work and living off credit cards for survival. It was in 1993, while living in Baltimore, Maryland, that Jackson was introduced to the ballroom scene. She then lived in various "houses" and eventually settled in the House of Sinclair which was stationed in New York City.
Career
Modeling
So that she could develop the right opportunities, Jackson did most of her early modeling work for free. In 2009, she became a resident model for fashion designer Adrian Alicea and walked for the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. She has also modeled for Vogue España.
Television & Film
Jackson has appeared in Call Me, Christopher Street: The Series, My Truth, My Story, a Caribbean LGBTQ Oral History and Storytelling Documentary Series produced by the Caribbean Equality Project, the documentary Visible: The LGBTQ Caribbean Diaspora and the Oxygenreality television seriesStrut. Her work on Strut earned her a GLAAD Media Award nomination. In 2018, Jackson began appearing in the leading role of Elektra Abundance on the FX series Pose, set in the ballroom subculture scene in late-1980s New York City. The series premiered on June 3, 2018, and attracted critical acclaim. The first season boasted the largest cast of transgender actors ever for a scripted network series, with over 50 transgender characters/actors. She continued her role as Elektra Wintour in Poses second season.
Jackson has been open about her mental health struggles. After a thirteen-year writing process, she released her autobiography The Transsexual from Tobago. She has also worked for several nonprofit organizations, such as Destination Tomorrow in the Bronx, that provide outreach and services to the LGBTQ+ community.
Personal life
Jackson was previously married to Al Jackson. They married at a courthouse after dating for about 18 years, and held their wedding ceremony during an episode of Strut. She obtained her green card in 2015, and underwent gender confirmation surgery the same year. In 2018, while vacationing at a resort in Aruba with her then-husband, Jackson reported to the authorities that a man attempted to rape her. In 2020, Jackson revealed on her social media that she had separated from her husband Al in late 2018.
