RuPaul’s Drag Race’s universe of vibrant and proficient drag queens has endured quite a few heartbreaking losses and well being scares over time.
When Drag Race loses considered one of its personal — or if there’s a performer in disaster — the worldwide neighborhood of queens has proven super compassion in honoring their colleagues.
Queens can at all times depend on encouragement and help from the franchise’s passionate fanbase within the hardest of occasions— most not too long ago exemplified by the outpouring of affection for Drag Race season 4 queen and Drag Race Philippines choose Jiggly Caliente when a part of her proper leg was surgically amputated on account of a extreme an infection. Caliente (actual identify Bianca Castro) died of issues in April 2025 at age 44.
Hold scrolling for a take a look at how the Drag Race forged and followers got here collectively when tragedy struck members of their neighborhood:
Jiggly Caliente
Caliente’s crew shared the surprising information in April 2025 that she’d endured “the lack of most of her proper leg” on account of a “extreme an infection.”
Her representatives confirmed in a press release that Caliente must step again from her judging position on Drag Race Philippines and chorus from any “public engagements” throughout her “intensive” restoration.
“Right now, we kindly ask for privateness for Bianca and her household, as they navigate this tough journey collectively,” the assertion learn. “Whereas Jiggly concentrates on therapeutic, we invite associates, followers and neighborhood to uplift her with messages of hope and love on her social media channels.”
The assertion concluded, “Bianca’s household and drag home are deeply grateful for the continued outpouring of help, power and prayers.”
Later that month, Caliente’s household introduced the information of her demise in an emotional assertion through Instagram.
“It’s with profound sorrow that we announce the passing of Bianca Castro-Arabejo, identified to the world and cherished by many as Jiggly Caliente,” the assertion learn. “Bianca handed away peacefully on April 27, 2025, at 4:42 am, surrounded by her loving household and shut associates.”
“Although her bodily presence is gone, the enjoyment she shared and the house she helped create for therefore many will stay without end,” the assertion continued. “She will probably be deeply missed, at all times beloved, and eternally remembered.”
The Vivienne
The Drag Race UK season 1 winner (actual identify: James Lee Williams) died at age 32 from cardiac arrest brought on by use of the highly effective anesthetic drug ketamine in January 2025.
The Vivienne spoke overtly about her habit struggles throughout her time on Drag Race UK and lent help to the Armistead Centre in Liverpool’s rehabilitation program throughout her lifetime.
Following her tragic demise, The Vivienne’s household promised to work with substance abuse charity, Adferiad, on a marketing campaign to encourage extra open dialogue about habit.
“Ketamine is an especially harmful drug that’s changing into increasingly prevalent within the U.Ok.,” the Williams household stated. “If we may also help elevate consciousness of the hazards of this drug and assist individuals who could also be coping with ketamine habit then one thing optimistic will come from this whole tragedy.”
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RuPaul was amongst these to publicly memorialize The Vivienne, writing through Instagram, “With a damaged coronary heart, I be part of your entire Drag Race universe in mourning the lack of The Vivienne — an extremely proficient queen and a stunning human being.”
Drag Race choose Michelle Visage referred to The Vivienne’s demise as “heartbreaking” in her personal assertion.
“I don’t know how one can say how I really feel,” she wrote through Instagram. “My darling @thevivienne_ we return to after I began coming over right here to the UK. You had been at all times there, at all times laughing, at all times giving, at all times on level. Your laughter, your wit, your expertise, your drag. I beloved all of it however I beloved your friendship most of all. You had been a beacon to so many.”
Drag Race manufacturing firm World of Marvel will launch a documentary about The Vivienne — titled Expensive Viv — in 2025. The movie options remembrances from The Vivienne’s closest collaborators in addition to followers impacted by her legendary profession.
Morphine Love Dion and Kaos
Morphine Love Dion and Kao Getty Photographs (2)
Drag Race season 16’s Dion (actual identify Michelle Orozco) and Canada’s Drag Race season 3 star Kaos (actual identify Jesilo Bernard) suffered accidents in a automotive crash that left one particular person useless in Los Angeles on the ten freeway in July 2024.
Dion and Kaos had been touring in an Uber when their automobile was concerned in a multi-car pileup that despatched six folks to the hospital, along with the tragic lack of a passenger.
“Morphine was in a critical automotive accident whereas in an Uber,” Dion’s social media wrote through Instagram on the time. “She suffered a number of accidents however is grateful to be alive. Please preserve her in your ideas and prayers. Some house and time is appreciated as she focuses on therapeutic.”
Kaos additionally supplied an replace after the damaging collision, writing through Instagram, “Simply so everybody is aware of I’m OK simply been on mattress relaxation.”
The queens had been in Los Angeles to attend the annual DragCon fan occasion. Fortunately, each have recovered from their accidents and are actually performing once more.
Chi Chi DeVayne
Season 8 and All Stars 3’s DeVayne (actual identify: Zavion Michael Davenport) was unquestionably probably the most beloved queens in Drag Race historical past. Generally known as the “Dancing Diva of Texas” by colleagues and followers alike, DeVayne persistently surprised viewers together with her unbelievable choreography and acrobatic lip sync routines.
DeVayne shared in 2018 that she’d been recognized with the autoimmune illness Scleroderma, which might affect the power of pores and skin, muscle tissue and blood vessels to perform correctly. The bodily toll of DeVayne’s analysis meant that she step by step misplaced the power to bounce on the excessive commonplace she’d set for herself.
The Drag Race universe united to mourn DeVayne when she died at age 34 in 2020 after contracting pneumonia whereas she was being handled for kidney failure.
“I’m heartbroken to study of the passing of Chi Chi DeVayne,” RuPaul advised Us Weekly in a press release on the time. “I’m so grateful that we bought to expertise her sort and exquisite soul. She will probably be dearly missed however by no means forgotten. Could her beneficiant and loving spirit shine down on us all. On behalf of VH1, World of Marvel and the forged and crew of RuPaul’s Drag Race, I prolong my deepest sympathy — from our household to hers.”
Drag Race season 10 winner Aquaria praised DeVayne as “an emblem of kindness” whereas Trixie Mattel referred to as her an “iconic queen actually everybody in our trade will at all times love.”
RuPaul’s Drag Race devoted its season 13 finale to DeVayne in April 2021.
Bandit
The Drag Race Thailand contestant (actual identify: Bandit Janthawan) positioned fifth in season two, however her legacy was prolonged when she designed a few of host Pangina Heals’ costumes.
Along with her time on actuality TV, Bandit launched a signature style capsule in 2011 and lectured on design at a number of universities.
Heals (actual identify: Pan Pan Narkprasert) confirmed to Leisure Weekly in December 2023 that Bandit had died at age 38, although additional particulars about her demise weren’t made public.
“We’re all fully misplaced as a result of Bandit has been a lightweight.,” Heals stated. “He has taught me. I’d not be the identical particular person I’m immediately with out Bandit instructing me about style.”
Heals went on, “He’s been such a visionary, such a giver. He’s at all times telling different folks, ‘You are able to do this’ or, ‘Try this to be higher,’ when it comes to ensuring different folks have their style sport on. He was such a humorous particular person, such charisma, such magnetism, and with out him, all of us don’t know what to do.”
Cynthia Lee Fontaine
One in every of Drag Race’s most inspiring tales was Fontaine’s (actual identify: Carlos Díaz Hernández) comeback in season 9 after being recognized with most cancers.
Fontaine initially competed in Drag Race season 8, and was voted Miss Congeniality by her friends. She found she had stage 1 liver most cancers two weeks after finishing filming and underwent 4 rounds of chemotherapy earlier than going into remission.
Drag Race invited Fontaine — nicknamed “Cucu” — again to compete in season 9, the place she positioned tenth. She advised Hey Qween in 2017 that she relished the possibility to share her most cancers restoration with Drag Race viewers.
“How pleased I’m to be in restoration and more healthy than ever,” she advised host Jonny McGovern. “(I’m) nonetheless entertaining and sharing my ‘Cucu’ in every single place.”
Fontaine has one other shot at glory in 2025 as a part of the forged of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars: Match of All Stars.
Sahara Davenport
Davenport (actual identify: Antoine Ashley) made an unforgettable impression in Drag Race season 2 together with her magnificence in addition to her intensive traditional dance coaching. She was a member of the famed Davenport drag home, with members of the family Kennedy Davenport and Honey Davenport following in her footsteps to compete on later seasons of Drag Race.
The musician and dancer tragically died at age 27 from congestive coronary heart failure in October 2012, simply two years after her season of Drag Race aired. Sahara was survived by associate and fellow Drag Race star Manila Luzon, who was quoted as saying on the time that she was “cherishing (Sahara’s) recollections and finishing up his legacy.”
“I used to be fortunate sufficient to have time with him,” Luzon (actual identify: Karl Philip Michael Westerberg) stated in 2012.
“Shocked and heartbroken over @SaharaDavenport,” RuPaul tweeted on the time. “By no means occurred to me that we’d ever lose considered one of our ladies. I see them as immortal.”
Cherry Valentine
Valentine (actual identify: George Ward) completed in twelfth place on Drag Race UK season 2, however her true legacy went past the competitors. She made historical past because the first-ever queen of Romani heritage to seem on any Drag Race franchise.
She later hosted the 2022 BBC documentary Cherry Valentine: Gypsy Queen and Proud, the place she explored her heritage as a part of the English Traveller neighborhood. Away from the stage, Valentine was a skilled psychological well being nurse and spoke publicly in regards to the significance of self-care.
Her household made the unhappy announcement in September 2022 that Valentine had died at age 28. A coroner later decided she’d died by suicide, based on BBC Information.
“It’s with probably the most coronary heart wrenching and deepest unhappiness to tell you that our George – Cherry Valentine – has tragically handed away,” Valentine’s household stated in a press release. “This can come as a profound shock to most individuals (and) we perceive there isn’t a simple approach for this to be introduced.”
A assertion from Drag Race UK learn, “We’re heartbroken that Cherry has handed away. She was a form soul who introduced pleasure and a particular snort to everybody she met. She introduced aptitude, verve and appeal to #DragRaceUK, we’ll miss her so deeply.”
“Puzzled. A kind of souls so pure, so uncooked, so actual,” Valentine’s season two costar Bimini wrote through X. “I’m extremely fortunate to have identified George and witnessed their infectious spirit. Their endurance and kindness was their superpower. They noticed you for you and never many individuals have that empathetic trait. My coronary heart.”
Tia Kofi, one other Drag Race UK season 2 forged member, honored her buddy by sporting an outfit impressed by Valentine’s authentic “Meet the Queens” promo look on RuPaul’s Drag Race: UK vs. the World in 2024.
“I simply thought it was actually necessary that after I bought the decision to be right here, I wished to do one thing for (Cherry),” Kofi (actual identify: Lawrence John Bolton) defined within the Werk Room.
Victoria ‘PorkChop’ Parker
Victoria “PorkChop” Parker on “RuPaul’s Drag Race” season 1. Courtesy YouTube/RuPaul’s Drag Race
Drag Race season 1’s first-ever eradicated queen was hospitalized and recognized with 4 critical well being situations in March 2026 after consuming a frozen hamburger.
“Fairly not too long ago, I, Victor — affectionately often called PorkChop — have confronted some very critical well being setbacks,” PorkChop wrote through a GoFundMe web page. “After making ready a frozen hamburger patty from a serious retailer, I turned extraordinarily ailing. Inside 24 hours, I used to be taken by ambulance to AV Medical Heart, the place I spent the following week bed-bound. Throughout my keep, I obtained intensive care, together with antibiotics, dozens of exams, and the beginning of bodily remedy.”
PorkChop confirmed that docs recognized her with an irregular heartbeat, an acute kidney damage, hyponatremia on account of an intestinal an infection and hypertension. She shared that she is predicted to make “a full restoration,” although the Drag Race star acknowledged “the journey forward will probably be difficult.”
As of publication, a GoFundMe for PorkChop has raised $4,300 of a $6,000 purpose.
“I’m slowly relearning how one can stroll, and ongoing bodily remedy is crucial to assist me rebuild my power,” PorkChop wrote. “My most pressing want is a medical mobility scooter, which might drastically enhance my high quality of life and permit me to regain some independence. Having the ability to get exterior, particularly to the big park in my neighborhood, can be an enormous enhance for my psychological and bodily well being as I heal.”
The season 1 alum concluded, “Generally, a small act of kindness could make a world of distinction. I’ve spent a few years bringing pleasure to others, and now I discover myself in want of help. I hope you’ll preserve me in your ideas and contemplate making a donation to assist me on my street to restoration. Your generosity will imply greater than phrases can categorical.”
When you or somebody is struggling or in disaster, assist is obtainable. Name or textual content 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.
When you or somebody is battling substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Psychological Well being Companies Administration (SAMHSA) Nationwide Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).