Disgraced 'RuPaul's Drag Race' Alum Makes Horrible Joke About The Vivienne's Sudden Passing

An alum of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” has been widely lambasted for crude comments on the sudden and tragic passing of the first-ever winner of “RuPaul’s Drag Race UK,” The Vivienne.

Former contestant James Ross, who appeared on the American series’ second season as Tyra Sanchez, reignited a beef with the late queer entertainer five years after a prior social media interaction – and just hours after The Vivienne’s death was announced publicly.

As fans mourned the loss of The Vivienne, born James Lee Williams, Ross used the moment to respond to a July 27, 2020, post on X (formerly Twitter) from the late drag performer.

“Bet Tyra was fuming when she realized Netflix spoiled the win, too,” wrote The Vivienne, noting the streaming app’s prior rollout of “RuPaul’s Drag Race UK” during its early seasons (episodes would debut on Netflix one week after their BBC Three airing).

“Sorry, gal,” they added, “you tried, though.”

Ross would then repost The Vivienne’s comment early Sunday evening with a dark response on their own.

“Yet it doesn’t compare to the fumes of the crematorium.”

After a flurry of other deplorable comments, Ross would double down on their negativity.

“She's dead. Rotting,” he continued. “Sending me all the hate in the world won't bring her back. But do as you must. Because of you [all], the tweet has reached over 25k individuals. Thanks for the much-needed attention that I oh so desperately needed.”

Almost immediately after they were posted, Ross’ words were met with a barrage of criticism from The Vivienne’s fanbase and other “RuPaul’s Drag Race” stars.

“You are disgusting,” one social media user wrote, per Daily Mail. “Shame on you.”

Fellow Season 2 contender Tatianna, who later competed on “RuPaul’s Drag Race All-Stars” Season 2, would seemingly respond to Ross’ rudeness without tagging them, though the intention remained clear.

“Somehow, she’s become even worse,” Tatianna shared, linking to their shared time on the series.

However, Kandy Muse, a fan-favorite of Season 13 and a recent participant on E!’s “House of Villains,” took direct aim at Ross by promising to retaliate on The Vivienne’s behalf physically.

“I've defended you for years,” Muse fired at Ross, “but now you can absolutely go f-ck yourself. [If] our [paths] were to ever cross, it's absolutely on sight.”

“It's not a threat,” Muse added, “it's a promise, you disgusting person.”

To which, Ross responded, “Threat received. Prepare your funeral.”

Like The Vivienne, Ross achieved fame by winning the crown on “RuPaul’s Drag Race” in 2010 as Tyra Sanchez, beating 11 other contenders to become “America’s Next Drag Superstar.”

Since then, Ross’ status as an entertainer has weathered multiple storms, including controversies and arrests that reportedly led to him being persona non grata by World of Wonder, the production company behind “RuPaul’s Drag Race.”

In 2019, one year after posting a countdown on his site that alluded to possible violence at DragCon 2018 NYC, Ross shared an apology, blaming his actions on “judgment, criticism, and opinions” he received during and after his run on the popular reality competition series.

“Many times, I expressed myself without thinking things through,” Ross wrote in a lengthy X post that has since been deleted, per Queerty. “I reacted out of fear and with anger. Neglecting the fact that I was wrong, I unleashed my anger upon anyone who crossed me.”

He would retire his drag persona in 2020 – the same year he posted the private number of Raven, the runner-up of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” Season 2. He has since rebooted the alter ego, albeit solely on OnlyFans.

The outpouring of love and memorials to The Vivienne continue to pour in on social media from queer performers in and out of the “Drag Race” world.

“Mama Ru” herself, RuPaul, would honor her late drag daughter with a short yet touching tribute on Instagram early Monday.

Ru shares, “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.”

Danny Beard, the winner of “RuPaul’s Drag Race UK” Series Four, would add beneath RuPaul’s post, “You meant the world to her!”

English drag personality Myra DuBois, who once appeared on “Britain’s Got Talent,” would also share words on The Vivienne via Instagram, and alleged that despite their notoriety, they often faced homophobia and other hateful comments online.

“I don’t know how The Vivienne left us, and I will be respecting the [family’s] request for privacy by not trying to find out,” DuBois noted, “[but] I do know… she was bombarded with a slew of homophobic abuse.”

“You can’t just post how sad you are when LGBTQ+ people die,” they continued. “I want you to ask if you’re doing everything you can to keep all LGBTQ+ people alive.”

Our hearts continue to go out to The Vivienne’s friends, family, and fans during this sad time.