RuPaul has broken her silence following the death of winner the Vivienne (Image: Getty Images)
RuPaul has paid tribute to the late drag queen The Vivienne following the news of James Lee Williams’ passing on Sunday (January 5).
It was announced yesterday that RuPaul’s Drag Race (RPDR) Queen winner – who was best known by their alter ego, The Vivienne – had tragically passed away at the age of 32.
Following the devastating news, RuPaul wrote in a post online: “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.”
There has been a wave of tributes to the artist online following the news of their death including emotional messages from former colleagues and celebrity pals.
The news was broken by their friend and publicist Simon Jones on Sunday night with a touching statement. It read: “It is with immense sadness that we let you know our beloved James Lee Williams – The Vivienne, has passed this weekend.
“James was an incredibly loved, warm-hearted and amazing person. Their family are heartbroken at the loss of their son, brother and uncle. They are so proid of the wonderful things James achieved in their life and career.
“We will not be releasing any furth details. We please ask that James’ family are given the time and privacy they now need to provess and greive.”
The Vivienne rose to fame as a contestant on the first series of RPDR UK, which they ultimately won. They later returned to the franchise to compete in the seventh season of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars – which featured previous winners – in 2022.
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