54 years old Robert Tur, formerly known as Chopper Bob has a illustrious career as a helicopter flying news reporter over the sky of Los Angeles, California and he was credited for chasing OJ Simpson’s Bronco car when he was fleeing from the law after murdering his wife.
Among other high profile news coverage to his credit was the reporting of the 1992 Los Angeles race riots, braving a terrible storm in California to rescue trapped tourists. The award winning journalist is now back again with the name of Zoey Tur after he underwent a gender reassignment surgery in Thailand.
“I didn’t understand it or see anyone that felt the way I did, so I just buried it,” Tur told People Magazine, as reported in New York Daily News.
Trapped with the wrong identity, Tur’s gender dysphoria festered for decades while portraying the rugged man everyone imagined Tur to be. That act eventually devolved to fear and depression leading to Tur’s divorce from longtime wife, Marika Gerrard, in 2003.
“I realized I had to face my fears,” Tur said. “The depression completely lifted and I haven’t looked back.”
He underwent a successful gender reassignment surgery in Thailand last year. Both his ex-wife and son accepted his transformation into a woman, but not his daughter who is a journalist herself.
“She saw her father a certain way, this hero pilot. Bob was legendary and she liked that,” Tur said, as reported in New York Daily News.
Zoey Tur is now back as a helicopter flying journalist wearing skirt, minus the high heel as a helicopter pilot could not wear a stilletto while handling the helicopter.
