The drag scene mourns one of its queens: James Lee Williams, whose stage name was The Vivienne and who won the first season of Drag Race UK in 2019, died Sunday January 5, 2025 at the age of 32, reports HuffPost.
“It is with immense sadness that we announce that our beloved James Lee Williams – The Vivienne, has passed away (…) James was an incredibly loved, warm and extraordinary person,” wrote his agent Simon Jones on Instagram, without specifying the causes of his death.
The official account of RuPaul’s Drag Race confirmed the information in a message posted on X and deploring this disappearance: “His talent, his humor and his dedication to the art of drag were a source of inspiration. She will be greatly missed, but her legacy will live on as an example of creativity and authenticity.”
Our “Drag Race France” file
The Vivienne had chosen her stage name in reference to fashion icon Vivienne Westwood, recalls HuffPost. Born in Wales, the artist won, in 2019, the reality TV show Drag Race UK. She had also participated in Dancing on Icea British ice dancing competition.