‘I loved your friendship most of all:’ The Drag Race world pays tribute to The Vivienne
The Queen of Liverpool is gone too soon.
On Sunday, January 5, the sad news of The Vivienne’s passing rippled throughout social media. The Vivienne was an internationally renowned British drag queen. At just 32 years old, she earned notoriety as a strong contender in the RuPaul’s Drag Race universe.
The Vivienne was already a star in her local drag scene when she appeared on the first season of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK. She came to the show with the full package of unclockable makeup, impeccable style, and quick wit. A true professional whose passion for their art was apparent. She gained an even larger audience when she competed on the 7th season of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars. Though she did not win, she gave the contestants a run for their money and showed the world what a funny, incredible talent she was.
The shocking news of her passing was shared by her publicist, Simon Jones, in a social media post.
An outpouring of love for The Vivienne
The Vivienne was, indeed, incredibly loved as evidenced by the wave of posts mourning her passing.
Drag Race UK alumni, Cheddar Gorgeous, talked about The Vivienne’s influence on local drag culture. She posted, “Viv was at the forefront of British drag’s renaissance, there at every beat from the dancefloor, to the stage and screen.”
Drag Race UK Season 1 contestant, Baga Chipz shared: “You taught me the true meaning of sisterhood but most importantly you taught me how to do a cut crease.”
Current reigning Drag Race UK winner, Danny Beard, talked about what made her special as a performer. “She connected with people and that’s something you can’t buy.”
Drag queens sending love from across the pond
Drag Race All Stars winner, Monet X Change, shared a photo still from the YouTube series the two did for Netflix. “Save a seat for me, Gail!”
Raja Gemini, who competed with The Vivienne on All Stars 7, went live to talk about their feelings and share stories. “I hope that when The Vivienne woke up in heaven, that she woke up in Jurassic Park,” they said as they raised a toast.
Fellow Drag Race All Stars competitor Jaida Essence Hall talked about how The Vivienne was a mentor. “I just know you were such an incredible person to everyone around you and you made real space for me.”
Mama Ru and Michelle, too
Michelle Visage, a judge on a few editions of Drag Race, talked about their long-standing friendship. “I loved all of it but I loved your friendship most of all.”
RuPaul crowned The Vivienne the UK Ambassador for Drag Race a few years before the UK edition of the show had its first season. The drag legend made her message short and sweet.
There are hundreds of messages like these from queens and fans all across social media, remembering the good times they’ve had with The Vivienne. A cause of death has not been revealed and will probably not be made known. I just like to think that when she walked into the great werk room in the sky, she had everyone rolling with an off-the-cuff, witty quip that only she could deliver.
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