Martha Phillpotts: Facts About Elliot Page’s Mother

Martha Phillpotts is the mother of Canadian actor, producer, director, and LGBTQ+ activist Elliot Page formerly Ellen Page. Elliot received critical acclaim for his role in Juno (2007). He has starred in notable films and TV series including, Trailer Park Boys, Hard Candy, Mouth to Mouth, X-Men: The Last Stand, An American Crime, X-Men: Days of Future Past, Whip It, and The Umbrella Academy. He came out as transgender on social media, sharing that his preferred pronouns are “he/they.”

Martha Phillpotts: Bio Summary

Who Is Elliot Page’s Mother, Martha Phillpotts?

Martha Phillpotts is widely known as the woman who gave birth to Elliot Page. She was reportedly born in 1954, meaning she will be celebrating her 69th birthday in 2023. She is the daughter of Gordon Wesley Philpotts and Gladys Jean MacKinnon. Her father is said to be a minister. She may have siblings or not. Most information regarding her life as a child and family is not known.

Martha Phillpotts is a teacher. She was married to Dennis Page, a graphic designer. Martha and Dennis are the parents of Elliot Page who was assigned female at birth. Elliot used to be known by the birth name Ellen but later changed it to Elliot. There isn’t much information about the marital life of Martha and Dennis but they divorced when Elliot was young and had joint custody, per the Guardian.

Elliot Page has come out– first as gay then as trans. He came out as gay on February 14, 2014, during a speech at the Human Rights Campaign’s “Time to Thrive” conference in Las Vegas. Elliot mentioned that she was tired of living a lie, pretending to be straight. Elliot said: “I’m here today because I’m gay, and because maybe I can make a difference.”

Elliot Page added: “I feel a personal obligation and a social responsibility. I also do it selfishly, because I am tired of hiding and I am tired of lying by omission. I’m tired of hiding, I’m tired of lying by omission. I suffered for years because I was afraid to be out.”

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“My spirit suffered, my mental health suffered and my relationships suffered. And I’m standing here today with all of you on the other side of that pain. I try not to read gossip, as a rule. But the other day a website ran an article with a picture of me wearing sweatpants on the way to the gym. And the writer asked: ‘Why does this petite beauty insist upon dressing like a massive man?’ Because I like to be comfortable.”

Elliot Page came out as a trans man on December 1, 2020, on his social media accounts. He specified his pronouns as he and they and revealed his name, Elliot. On his social media platforms, he wrote: “Hi friends, I want to share with you that I am trans, my pronouns are he/they and my name is Elliot. I feel lucky to be writing this. To be here. To have arrived at this place in my life.”

Elliot Page also wrote: “I love that I am trans. And I love that I am queer. And the more I hold myself close and fully embrace who I am, the more I dream, the more my heart grows and the more I thrive. To all the trans people who deal with harassment, self-loathing, abuse, and the threat of violence every day: I see you, I love you, and I will do everything I can to change this world for the better”.

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— Elliot Page (@TheElliotPage) December 1, 2020

Elliot Page became the first openly trans man to appear on the cover of Time. After appearing on the cover of Time magazine, he has been outspoken and supportive of trans youth.

Martha’s Relationship With Elliot Page

Martha Phillpotts and Elliot Page share a great bond. Initially, when Elliot came out as gay, Martha wasn’t supportive of him. Martha had once told Elliot that homosexuality didn’t exist, per sources. Martha had previously ‘pushed him away’ when he intended to come out to her. Eventually, Martha accepted him after seeing how he was “at ease” with himself after his transition.

Elliot said: “I think it’s really inspiring that she’s changed and become such an advocate and ally… it took her time to break out of the ideas she grew up with.” Elliot recently told PEOPLE his relationship with his mother is “the best it’s ever been”. The duo have reconciled and have a beautiful relationship.

“My relationship with her is the best it’s ever been. I’ve had so much to learn about so many things myself,” Elliot Page shared. “But finally sharing my truth with her and telling her about the changes that were about to happen in my life, my mom was just so immediately supportive.” He added, “She’s educated herself. I think there was such a profound sense of relief, like she saw her kid step into themself.”

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Martha Phillpotts supported Elliot Page when he released his memoir, Pageboy. She joined Elliot in New York City’s Times Square, checking out a billboard for the book on display. Elliot said his memoir ‘Pageboy’ helped his relationship with his mother. He told The Guardian:

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“I’m nervous, but grateful for the opportunity to have written it.” He added: “It was really healing getting a lot of stuff out. It’s been very beneficial for my relationship with my mom. It has allowed us to talk about things for the first time in a meaningful, sincere way.”

Meanwhile, Elliot has an estranged relationship with his father Dennis Page. Per The Los Angeles Times, in his memoir, Elliot reveals he hasn’t spoken to his father Dennis in five and a half years. This is because his dad supports “those with massive platforms who have attacked and ridiculed me on a global scale.”

“When [right-wing author] Jordan Peterson was let back on Twitter after he’d made a horrific tweet about me, he posted a video, just his head filling the frame. Staring menacingly into the camera, he said, ‘We’ll see who cancels who.’ My dad ‘liked’ it,” Elliot said.