Gia Darling was born in Guatemala and adopted by a single mother at age two, moving to Valencia, California at three. She began living as a female at 15, using hormones and later getting breast implants. A prominent figure in transgender adult entertainment, she founded Gia Darling Entertainment and has directed and starred in numerous films, earning accolades like the 2006 AVN Transsexual Performer of the Year and a 2012 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Tranny Awards.