Actress Kat Graham Is Now Toro Gato!

Goodbye, Kat Graham — hello, Toro Gato!

While appearing on “E! News’ Daily Pop,” the “Vampire Diaries” actress unveiled her new identity in conjunction with the release of her upcoming visual EP, “Toro Gato: Part I,” out September 10.

In her sit-down with hosts Justin Sylvester and our very own Loni Love, Toro says she has been working on her new ego since 2016 but was “birthed” amid the COVID-19 quarantine.

“I think that we as entertainers have this identity that we have to give to the public and be presentable, and I think sometimes we forget our core and our truth,” she said about her reinvention, adding, “I wanted to kind of dismantle my former identity.”

The artist continued, “So this is a new version. They say it’s the alter ego, but I actually think the more and more time I spend in this space, I think Kat is the alter ego and I am becoming the West African, the ruler, the monster, that’s not scared of anything, that can show up without shoes on. I think that’s really fun, and a terrifying place to be.”

Regarding her look, Toro Gato — which translates to “bull cat” in Spanish — said she collected different garments as a nod to her tribal ancestors. However, don’t call her new attire “a costume.”

“In this Western, very Americanized world, I think that sometimes it can look like a spectacle, but you will see that it’s not actually a costume.”

Additionally, Toro doesn’t believe her new identity “wears wigs.”

“I just wanted to annihilate this idea that we needed to be a certain way to be accepted, that we need validation, and I hope that people can see that and find their own monster or creative outlet.”

As to how Toro differentiates from “Kat Graham,” the musician explained, “Toro Gato shows the light and the dark sides, so you know when you get really, really angry and you’re scared of that monster and you don’t want to let that side out? Like, this is that version of that.”

“Gato is maybe the peaceful side, and both sides can exist. It’s showcasing the subconscious mind and the conscious mind,” she added.

After the interview, Loni took a few photos with Toro and said she is excited to hear her new tunes.