The Vivienne, former winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race, dies aged 32

Drag artist The Vivienne, real name James Lee Williams, has died aged 32.

“It is with immense sadness that we let you know our beloved James Lee Williams – The Vivienne, has passed this weekend," said Williams' PR representative Simon Jones on Instagram.

“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.”

Williams was born and raised in North Wales, before the moved to Liverpool at 16-years-old.

Taking inspiration for their drag name from fashion designer Vivienne Westwood, Williams rose to prominence after becoming the UK drag ambassador for the US series of RuPaul’s Drag Race in 2015. They won the first UK iteration of the show in 2019.

More recently, Williams performed in a number of stage productions, portraying the Childcatcher in  Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and the Wicked Witch of the West in the Wizard of Oz musical.

They also starred in their own BBC show The Vivienne Takes on Hollywood in 2020, as well as popular UK soap opera Emmerdale.

The drag artist was assaulted last January in the Liverpool, with the local magistrates court finding that the attack was homophobic. The man who committed the crime, an unemployed scaffolder, received a suspended jail sentence for the hate crime.

 

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A number of tributes have been pouring in following Williams' death, with RuPaul’s Drag Race judge Michelle Visage describing the news as "Heartbreaking".

"I don’t know how to say how I feel," Visage said on social media. “My darling [The Vivienne] we go back to when I started coming over here to the UK. You were always there, always laughing, always giving, always on point. Your laughter, your wit, your talent, your drag. I loved all of it but I loved your friendship most of all. You were a beacon to so many.”

UK Drag queen Tia Kofi described it as "an incredible loss to the British drag community and to the world."

"Viv represented UK drag at its absolute finest on stage and screen internationally," Kofi added, via X. "She was a mentor, an inspiration and a friend. This shock will be felt deeply by us all. Love you Viv 💖"

Members of the Irish drag community have also taken to social media to pay their respects, with former Glow Up Ireland contestant Pixie Woo describing The Vivienne as "A true legend."