(NEXSTAR) – A drag performer and actor who appeared on several iterations of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” passed away over the weekend, their manager announced on social media.
James Lee Williams, who performed under the drag name The Vivienne, was 32 years old, the BBC and The New York Times reported.
Williams’ manager did not announce a cause of death.
“It is with immense sadness that we let you know our beloved James Lee Williams — The Vivienne, has passed this weekend,” Simon Jones, of Simon Jones PR, wrote Sunday.
“James was an incredibly loved, warm-hearted and amazing person,” Jones continued. “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.”
Jones asked Williams’ fans to give their family privacy, and added that “further details” of Williams’ passing would not be released.
Williams, who was born in Wales before moving to Liverpool, was originally chosen as the “UK ambassador” for “RuPaul’s Drag Race” during a 2015 event hosted by RuPaul in London. In 2019, they competed on — and won — the first season of the show’s U.K. iteration. In the following years, Williams made an appearance on “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and competed on “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars.”
In a piece for London’s The Times in 2020, Williams said they were first drawn to drag by English comedian Paul O’Grady, who was known for his drag personal Lily Savage. Williams later began developing her own persona after seeing drag queens at a club in Liverpool.
“These people were getting paid to have a great night and entertain people. I knew immediately that was what I wanted to do.”
In the same Times piece, Williams discussed their past struggles with “party drugs” and the recovery they achieved with the help of an LGBTQ+ support group in Liverpool.
In addition to drag, Williams was a musical theater performer, appearing in touring productions of "The Wizard of Oz" and "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang," The New York Times reported.
