The Vivienne, who won the first season of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK in 2019 and competed on RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars in 2022, has sadly passed away at the age of 32.
Her publicist Simon Jones confirmed the sad news on social media on Sunday (January 5). They issued a statement on the matter and provided some information.
Keep reading to find out more…
“It is with immense sadness that we let you know our beloved James Lee Williams – The Vivienne, has passed this weekend,” they wrote in a post on Instagram. “James was an incredibly loved, warm-hearted and amazing person.”
The statement continued, reading, “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.”
Simon also shared a personal statement, describing The Vivienne as “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.”
They continued, writing, “I’m so proud and lucky that Viv was such a big part of my life every day for the last 5 years.”
A cause of death has not been confirmed. We’ll let you know if we learn more.
Our thoughts go out to everyone who knew and loved The Vivienne at this difficult time. RIP.
