It’s been reported that The Vivienne’s father was the person who found the star dead. The Ru Paul’s Drag Race icon tragically passed away at the weekend at the age of just 32.
Upon making the announcement of his passing, publicist Simon Jones described The Vivienne, whose real name was James Lee Williams, as an “incredibly loved, warm-hearted and amazing person”.
In a post shared on Instagram, the PR guru said: “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 proud of the wonderful things James achieved in their life and career.”
According to reports, a friend of the former Dancing on Ice contestant has since shared that The Vivienne was found by their devastated father and stepmum on Sunday night.
A source told the Sun: “Their devastated dad raised the alarm and believed they had passed away a day or two before being found.
“James was due to move to a £400,000 house next week, and had a holiday lined up. They were planning a tour and really had everything to live for.”
A police spokesman said: “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’s last public appearance was a week before their death. The star was appearing in a production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in Blackpool.
The star made history as the first drag queen to compete on Dancing On Ice, finishing third in the 2023 series, and also had their own BBC series, The Vivienne Takes on Hollywood, and made a guest appearance on ITV soap Emmerdale.
The Vivienne is survived by their loved ones, including their heartbroken ex-partner, David Ludford. David, who owns a company selling wigs for drag queens called Drag Helmet Wigs, shared a heartfelt tribute on Facebook shortly after the news broke online.
He wrote: “This man changed my life so much from the day we first met in August 2017 in Gran Canaria!!” He said they “clicked straight away” and had a “whirlwind” romance. David said James made him “feel love” and showed him “what it was really like to love someone”.
He added: “You will always have a place in my heart. Going to miss you more than people will ever know. Sleep tight angel.”
Last night, we reported RuPaul – real name Andre Charles – took to social media with “a broken heart” and paid an emotional tribute to the late drag queen.
Sharing a snap on Instagram, RuPaul wrote: “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.”
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