The future of RuPaul's Drag Race hangs in the balance following the devastating death of show winner The Vivienne. The drag queen superstar, whose real name was James Lee Williams, died last weekend aged just 32. Their sudden passing was announced by close friend and manager, Simon Jones, sparking an outpouring of grief from fans and fellow artists online.
They were remembered as the trailblazing, breakthrough star of the first UK season of the US's famed drag show, led by RuPaul, in 2019. However, The Viv's career on TV was tragically only just getting started. Shortly after the heartbreaking announcement on Sunday evening, the official social media account of the popular BBC show shared a moving tribute, saying they were "deeply saddened.".
However, one notable voice missing from the hundreds of heartfelt tributes was RuPaul himself. Finally, 24 hours later, the show's creator wrote a statement to his six million Instagram followers: "With a broken heart, I join the entire Drag Race universe in mourning the loss of The Vivienne - an incredibly talented queen and a lovely human being.".
The US drag queen shared the message alongside costume-free James, sporting a baseball cap. Sources reportedly close to RuPaul say the 64-year-old has been "in bits" over the shock loss, and was left "absolutely devastated". He is so grief-stricken that a source has suggested he is now "seriously considering" stepping away from his role as the face of the hit competition as he weighs up his own future career and potential retirement.
