RuPaul’s Drag Race star The Vivienne was found dead at a rural address on the outskirts of Chester. Tributes have been flooding in since the death of 32-year-old James Lee Williams – who performed as the drag queen – was announced yesterday.
Today, Cheshire Constabulary has released a statement. It states: “At 12.22pm on Sunday 5 January police were called to an address on Little Rake Lane in Chorlton-by-Backford following reports of a sudden death.
“Police attended investigated the circumstances of the death of the 32-year-old man and concluded there were no suspicious circumstances. A file will be prepared for the coroner.”
The Vivienne, won the first series of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK and came third on the 2023 edition of Dancing On Ice, has been hailed as “a beacon to so many”. Dancing On Ice judge Oti Mabuse remembered The Vivienne for being a “phenomenal entertainer” and “trailblazer”, while fellow RuPaul’s Drag Race winner Jinkx Monsoon said the star made a “mark in our hearts”.
The news of Williams’s death was announced by their publicist, Simon Jones, on Sunday evening, who wrote that Williams was an “incredibly loved, warm-hearted and amazing person”. Mr Jones added that Williams, who was born in Wales and later moved to Liverpool, would be remembered for their “immense talent”, adding “the light they brought to every room was astonishing”.
RuPaul’s Drag Race judge Michelle Visage paid tribute to Williams, writing that their death was “heartbreaking”. Williams performed as the Wicked Witch of the West in a UK and Ireland tour of The Wizard Of Oz musical and reprised the role in the West End at the Gillian Lynne Theatre last year.
They were due to be back on tour next month performing in the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang musical in the role of the Childcatcher. The Vivienne also competed on an all-winners season of the RuPaul franchise in the US in 2022, the only UK contestant for that series. They also starred in BBC Three show The Vivienne Takes On Hollywood in 2020, which saw them make their first music video.
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