Transgender YouTuber Gigi Gorgeous tells of her father's struggle to come to terms with her transition, revealing he admitted he 'wished she wouldn't' go through with it

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YouTube star Gigi Gorgeous is opening up about how transitioning from male to female changed her relationship to her father and eventually brought them closer than ever.

Gigi, 24, came out as transgender in December 2013 - signaling the beginning of the transition process that took her through hormone therapy, several surgeries, and a legal name change. Her journey has been turned into a documentary, This Is Everything, which premiered Wednesday on YouTube Red.

Her father, David Lazzarato, a retired media executive, is one of the strongest presences in the movie, at one point giving Gigi a towel bath as she recovers from her breast augmentation. The film, however, also captures David's initial hesitations as he comes to terms with Gigi's transformation - as well as his confusion about what pronouns to use.

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Becoming Gigi: YouTube star Gigi Gorgeous (pictured), 24, reveals all about her transition from make to female in a new documentary, This Is Everything, which premiered Wednesday

Family portrait: Gigi attended the premiere of the movie with (left to right) her father, David Lazzarato, David's wife Lori, her brother Cori, director Barbara Kopple and her brother Adam

'It wasn't malicious intent or anything like that. It was just force of habit,' Gigi told the DailyMail.com. 'I know he wanted to do it from the beginning.'

Gigi's mother, Judy Lazzarato, died in 2012 aged 50, after recovering from breast cancer and being diagnosed with leukemia and brain cancer. The following year, Gigi came out as transgender on YouTube. 

After taking hormones for more than a year, Gigi can be seen in the movie telling her father she has decided to go ahead with facial feminization surgery - two procedures that consisted in remodeling her chin and forehead at a cost of $14,000.

'I wish you wouldn't do this, but I understand that you're going to,' her father tells her. He then says that he is going to be there, at which point Gigi tells him he doesn't have to come - but David insists.

Gigi tells her father that if he is going to attend, he needs to use her female name as well as female pronouns.

David can then be seen after the surgery, holding a cup to Gigi's lips so she can drink despite her prominent bandages, and giving her lip balm when needed.

'My knee-jerk reaction was just to do my own thing, just because that's me - and I shouldn't have done that,' Gigi explained. ' I definitely regret that, because that pushed him away a little bit. But it is what it is.'

Wedding day: A key moment for Gigi was her father's second wedding, during which she was a bridesmaid. She said going through her transition had made her and David closer than ever

Beaming: Gigi, who described her father's wedding day as being also her coming-out party, appeared in front of some of her relatives for the first time since her transition that day

Caring father: David (pictured in the movie) can be seen caring for Gigi after several of her surgeries, even though he initially struggles with which pronouns to use

Finding love: Gigi has since come out as a lesbian and is dating Getty Oil heir Nats Getty (pictured with Gigi in an Instagram snap)

Coming out: Gigi announced she was transgender on YouTube in 2013, and has since gone through hormone therapy, several surgeries and a legal name change

Her father, however, remained at her side throughout the entire process. Their relationship improved, as David, Gigi said, let down his walls just as much as she did.

'I think as you get older your parents become less parents, they become more of a friend. And I think if you tell them a secret or let them know something that they didn't know about you before, it brings you closer in the end,' Gigi said.

'Letting my father know that I was transitioning and that I was going to go through the surgeries and all of this - I think it made her closer in the end. But we definitely both had to go through a transition process together in our relationship, because he went from having a son to a daughter.'

At one point in the movie, she and her father go out together for lunch, not long after Gigi's facial surgeries - when she still had a bandage on her nose and bruises under her eyes. David buys her a sweater from the restaurant's gift shop and the two have visibly become closer. Gigi still remembers this moment fondly. 

'Even though I was swollen and I looked awful - in that moment, I had been behind closed doors for so long, I was so ready to go out in the world. And even though I was still swollen I felt beautiful. And to have my dad there, that was amazing' she said.

'For me to be conversing with my father and for him to be using the right pronouns and being very, very understanding that I was transgender and it was happening - it was the best lunch ever.'

Looking back: The documentary includes clip from Gigi's childhood, when she was still known as Gregory Lazzarato, growing up with two brothers

The beginning: Gigi first became known on YouTube as Gregory Gorgeous, where she did makeup tutorials and explained she wasn't afraid of wearing makeup even with a male body

Remembering: The film includes footage of Gigi's mother, Judy Lazzarato (pictured with Gigi as a baby), who died in 2012 aged 50 after being diagnosed with leukemia and brain cancer

Spreading values: Gigi (pictured on the movie poster) hopes the documentary can inspire viewers to be more accepting and supporting of others

A major moment for Gigi was her father's second wedding, during which she was a bridesmaid. Some of her family members saw her for the first time since her transition that day.

'It was really my coming-out party, as well as a wedding,' Gigi said. 'It was super nerve-racking for me. I was probably smiling so much because I was happy, but also riddled with nervousness.'

Everyone at the reception was supportive, Gigi said.

'I felt so proud of myself to come out but I also felt so happy for my father. Him finding someone else after my mother passed away was a true miracle. 

'Their love is so strong and powerful and I'm so happy that my father, who's such a genuine, caring man, could find such a great partner to share his life with.'

The YouTube star now hopes the documentary can inspire viewers to be more accepting and supporting of others.

'I would love for people to take away the fact that maybe they had some misconceptions of me and my life, that it's perfect, that I have no worries or struggle. But just like every other person and just like every other transgender person, I've had struggles and I've had gone through a very hard time in my transition,' she said.

'I think now, more than ever, especially during the time that we're going through right now, we need understanding. And we need more acceptance and love.'