Metro Weekly

5 Queens Who Will Never Return To Drag Race

These five former Drag Race contestants will definitely never return to the series.

Pearl out of drag (instagram.com)
Pearl out of drag (instagram.com)

For those queens who make it to RuPaul’s Drag Race and don’t win, it seems there’s always a hope that they can come back for RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars and try again. There’s almost always a hope, that is.

There have now been nearly 200 contestants who have walked into the werk room, and a handful of them are sure to never do so again. Some have argued with RuPaul, others have called him and the show out in public after their time on TV, while still others are in other forms or trouble. 

Here are five queens who you will never seen on RuPaul’s Drag Race again, even if it feels like they deserve another shot.

Willam

To this day, Willam remains the only queen to get herself kicked off of RuPaul’s Drag Race. It was a major shock at the time, and though they didn’t reveal why in the episode, it was explained later that she was removed from the show because she got caught sneaking her husband into the hotel during filming so they could…be together. But the controversies didn’t end there for Willam.

She has been very vocal about how she didn’t think the contestants are treated right – or even well-fed – on the show. And once she reportedly even got into a screaming match with RuPaul herself in public. At one point, the host apparently yelled, “How fucking dare you!” So if that’s not enough to get you banned from the series, who knows what is.

Pearl

Pearl caused quite a stir on their season of Drag Race when they asked the unforgettable question, “Do I have something on my face?” This sparked a feud with RuPaul that likely led to Pearl’s permanent exclusion from future seasons of Drag Race, though of course no one on the show will go so far as to say that out loud.

The rift between Pearl and RuPaul actually goes much deeper than just one comment. During an interview with YouTube channel Hey Kween, the contestant shared a story that has lived on for years, and her telling it surely means she won’t be back.

“We were filming a segment, just chatting… and then the camera went down for a moment,” Pearl commented during the interview. “I turned to RuPaul and said, ‘Oh my god, thank you so much. It’s such an honor to be here, such a pleasure to meet you, you have no idea’…She turned to me, and she said, ‘Nothing you say matters unless that camera is rolling.’ That broke my spirit, I felt like it was just so disrespectful.”

The Vixen

Revered for her spirited nature, both on and off-camera, The Vixen garnered a reputation for engaging in conflicts with fellow queens, or at least that’s what it looked like watching her season of RuPaul’s Drag Race. While some of this may be the editing, it can’t all be. Who can forget when The Vixen, feeling unjustly targeted by her peers and even RuPaul himself, stood up and walked out of the reunion show. It’s unlikely that The Vixen wants to bother with any more of the reality program, and she’s too busy focusing on her true passion, activism, which has now taken precedence in her life.

Courtney Act

Courtney Act, a frontrunner in her season, narrowly missed out on victory to Bianca Del Rio. Despite her loss, Act’s undeniable talent and charisma would have made her a fantastic addition to any season of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars, and perhaps even an easy winner. Unfortunately, Act’s relationship with RuPaul is strained, with the host going as far as blocking her on Twitter. This clear gesture suggests that RuPaul wants no association with the Australian performer.

Act took it upon herself to publicly criticize RuPaul for his comments on the trans community and his previous use of the phrase “she male” on the show. While the production has since rectified this mistake, the damage has been done, and it seems unlikely that Act will be returning to Drag Race in any way in the future.

Tyra Sanchez

Among all the former winners of RuPaul’s Drag Race, none have experienced as tumultuous a journey as Tyra Sanchez. Despite being crowned the champion in season two, Sanchez has failed to establish a substantial career for herself. Nowadays, it appears that the only instances where the public hears from the once-revered queen are during moments of controversy.

In 2018, Sanchez faced repercussions for a controversial Instagram video that targeted fellow queens Tatianna and Phi Phi O’Hara. She also posted a mysterious Facebook status cautioning fans against attending DragCon and made it seem like there might be a bomb there. This led to her being banned from the event, and if you can’t go to DragCon, you certainly can’t be on the show.

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