RuPaul’s Drag Race star The Vivienne tragically died earlier this month and RuPaul has now made his first public appearance since the news broke
RuPaul has made his first public appearance since the news broke that The Vivienne had died.
The star and host of RuPaul’s Drag Race – the show that made The Vivienne, real name James Lee Williams, famous – was seen in London on Friday when he opened DragCon UK at the ExCel.
It was announced on Sunday night that The Vivienne had died aged 32 and today RuPaul shared powerful words for those in attendance at the event, which celebrated the drag community.
RuPaul, 64, appeared on the verge of tears towards the end of the week and stepped out with close friend and former Strictly Come Dancing star Michelle Visage, who wore a dress stamped with The Vivienne’s name.
TV icon RuPaul said: “We are here to celebrate life and celebrate love and to spread it around. We want to focus on love.”
He added. “We are going to remember our dear The Vivienne with love and life, because that’s what she was all about and she would love for you to live your lives and to be free and to have a lot of fun and spread it around.”
The event featured an incredible memorial wall at which the thousands of punters expected to show up could pay their respects to The Vivienne, who won RuPaul’s Drag Race UK in 2019.
RuPaul’s Friday outing comes directly after he shared a throwback clip of himself ‘slapping’ former Drag Race star Tyra after they shared vile tweets on X, formerly Twitter, mocking The Vivienne’s death.
She quote-tweeted a post from 2020 by The Vivienne which had read: “Bet Tyra was fuming when she realised Netflix spoiled the win too. Sorry gal. You tried though.” Tyra, writing years later, replied: “Yet it doesn’t compare to the fumes of the crematorium.”
After Tyra, 36, shared the sickening messages, fans called on RuPaul to strip the former contestant of her Drag Race crown in the wake of her remarks.
RuPaul – who is the face of the franchise, as well as acting as judge on both the UK and US versions – then posted a throwback clip on Instagram. It showed the host appearing to ‘slap’ Tyra across the face in a scene that was part of an acting challenge during the final on her season back in 2010. There was no caption on the post shared on Wednesday.
Shortly after the post was uploaded to the platform, Tyra shared an apparent illustration of RuPaul, depicted as a puppet, on her page. The caption read: “Right back at ya. Puppet.” Tyra – formerly known as Tyra Sanchez – also issued a message on her Instagram Story.
The message read: “I am immensely thankful to everyone visiting my page this week. Whether showing love or showing your a**, you increased my page’s reach TREMENDOUSLY. Welcome to all new followers! Two fingers in the sky to those who have left us. Special shoutouts to the ones who truly hate me yet hang around watching my every move. With you hanging around here you’ve increased the reach by 95%. Silly rabbits. You work for me. It is because of you that my name LIVES on.”
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