US Drag Race winner Tyra Sanchez has faced more outrage after posting shocking tweets following the death of late star The Vivienne.
The Drag Race star, whose real name was James Lee Williams, was confirmed to have passed away at 32 over the weekend, leaving fans and the community in shock. However, Tyra seemed unfazed by the tragic news and took to social media just hours later, as we reported yesterday, to post shocking replies to tweets that had been written by The Vivienne in 2020.
In 2020, The Vivienne said on X, formerly Twitter: “Bet Tyra was fuming when she realised Netflix Spoiled the win Too. Sorry gal. You Tried though”. On Tuesday, Tyra quote-tweeted the post, and replied: “Yet it doesn’t compare to the fumes of the crematorium.”
Tyra didn’t stop there, continuing: “She’s dead. Rotting. Sending me all the hate in the world won’t bring her back. But do as you must. Because of you the tweet has reached over 25k individuals. Thanks for the much needed attention that I oh so desperately needed.”
The post sparked outrage among fans, with drag artist Kandy Muse responding to Tyra: “I’ve defended you for years but now you can absolutely go f*** yourself and if our path were to ever cross it’s absolutely on sight bitch, it’s not a threat it’s a promise. you disgusting person.”
Now, it seems Tyra is unrepentant and has gone one step further – adding a post to X of a photo of a crematorium with ‘songs I would play if I owned a crematorium’ plastered over the snap. The song Girl on Fire by Alicia Keys accompanied the post.
Fans slammed the Drag Race star further and called on host RuPaul to strip Tyra of their title.
One Drag Race fan said on X: “@RuPaul take away Tyra Sanchez’s win now. The s**t she posted had no right to allow her to stay in the hall of fame, she is a disgrace to the planet and to the fandom and you should discard anything related to her as you did Sherry Pie. Letting this slide is a big f**k up.”
Another said: ““I think #RuPaul should take the crown from Tyra Sanchez and give it to #Raven in a symbolic but powerful act. The level of disrespect that girl has, already crossed all limits with her comments about The Vivienne. Do the right thing Mama Ru.”
Tributes have flooded in for The Vivienne in the wake of their death after it was confirmed by publicist and friend Simon Jones.
A statement 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 proud of the wonderful things James achieved in their life and career. We will not be releasing any further details. We please ask that James’s family are given the time and privacy they now need to process and grieve.”
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In a follow-up post, Simon expressed how “proud” he was of The Vivienne and shared a glimpse into their close bond.
He added: “These are words I never ever wanted to write. Viv was a close friend, a client and someone I loved very much. From the moment I met them in 2019 I knew we could create magic together and I became their manager. Their talent was immense and the light they brought to every room was astonishing. No one has ever made me laugh in my life as much as Viv did. Their comic genius and quick wit was like no other.
“I’m so proud and lucky that Viv was such a big part of my life every day for the last 5 years. It’s tragic that their career was only just beginning. In musical theatre Viv had found a space and career they loved, excelled and thrived in. I am heartbroken and devastated at this news. RIP my wonderful friend. You left us way too soon.”
On Monday, RuPaul 64, 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.”
Meanwhile, following the devastating news, RuPaul’s DragCon revealed via their Instagram page that they’re setting up a memorial booth at the event, which is taking place on January 10 and 11 at ExCeL London.
This will allow fans to express their condolences and pay homage to the iconic drag queen, who won the first series of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK in 2019.
They wrote: “As we all move through this weekend together, we know that many of us will want to celebrate The Vivienne by sharing condolences with those close to her. Please be mindful that we all process and experience grief differently and some people might not be ready yet to talk about the loss of someone important to them.”
At the upcoming DragCon event, attendees can pay their respects to The Vivienne in a specially designated memorial area. A booth will be dedicated for people to share their condolences and talk about The Vivienne if they wish.
Fellow queens such as Danny Beard and Maxine LaQueene praised the gesture, with comments such as “Lovely! ! ! Thanks for doing this guys! ” and “Thank you for offering space for people to grieve and give condolences to Viv.”
According to a statement on Monday by Cheshire Police, police were called to an address in Chorlton-by-Backford, near Chester, on Sunday at 12:22 pm due to a reported sudden death.
After conducting an investigation, the police concluded that there were no suspicious circumstances involved in the death of the 32 year old man, and a report will be sent to the coroner.
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