The Matrix film-maker Lilly Wachowski, formerly known as Andy, came out as a transgender woman this week in a candid post entitled ‘Sex change shocker – Wachowski brothers now sisters!!!’, four years after her sister Lana Wachowski revealed she was a transgender woman.

Lilly Wachowski, 48, said in a statement that she decided to make her gender reassignment public after a journalist from Britain’s Daily Mail attempted to coerce her to do an interview about her transition.

“I knew at some point I would have to come out publicly. I just wanted – needed some time to get my head right, to feel comfortable. But apparently I don’t get to decide this,” Lilly wrote.

So yeah, I’m transgender. And yeah, I’ve transitioned

Her sister Lana, 50, formerly known as Larry, came out publicly as a transgender woman in 2012. In her statement, Lilly touched on the struggles faced by the transgender community, and said that while progress has been made, “we continue to be demonised and vilified in the media where attack ads portray us as potential predators to keep us from even using the bathroom”.

“So yeah, I’m transgender. And yeah, I’ve transitioned,” she said.

The Wachowskis, who are notoriously private about their lives and rarely give interviews, have carved a reputation with The Matrix franchise, V for Vendetta and, most recently, Netflix’s sci-fi series Sense8.

Lilly’s transition comes amid a growing spotlight on the transgender community.

Reality TV star and Olympic gold medalist Caitlyn Jenner, formerly known as Bruce Jenner, has so far been the most high-profile personality to come out as a transgender woman last year, and has been an advocate for LGBT rights.

Amazon’s Golden Globe-winning series Transparent, which follows the gender transition of a family patriarch, has also helped shed light on the community and just last month, Mya Taylor became the first transgender actress to win an Independent Spirit Award for her role in the film Tangerine.