The British drag artist The Vivienne died from cardiac arrest that was brought on by taking ketamine, their household told the BBC on Monday.
The winner of RuPaul‘s Drag Race UK, whose actual title was James Lee Williams, died in January at age 32. Their sister, Chanel Williams, advised the BBC her household continues to be “fully devastated,” however wished to disclose the reason for dying to assist others.
“If we will help increase consciousness of the risks of this drug and assist individuals who could also be coping with ketamine dependancy then one thing optimistic will come from this entire tragedy,” she stated.
Williams’s publicist, Simon Jones, confirmed the reason for dying in posts on Instagram and X.
In a separate assertion, the British substance abuse charity Adferiad stated it will co-ordinate with the family on a marketing campaign geared toward fostering dialog about, and decreasing the stigma of, drug use.
Open about struggles
Born in Wales and raised in Liverpool, Williams’s star first rose after turning into a U.Ok. drag ambassador for the American TV collection RuPaul’s Drag Race, resulting in a cameo on that present’s eighth season. After successful the present in 2019, they returned for the seventh season of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars in 2022.
Williams later grew to become the primary drag performer to compete on the determine skating competitors Dancing on Ice, coming in third, and likewise launched music. Williams was well-known for his or her humour and impression of U.S. President Donald Trump and, all through their profession, was typically open about their struggles with dependancy and substance abuse.
Their drag title was impressed by dressmaker Vivienne Westwood, whose clothes Williams would typically put on. A whole bunch attended a Liverpool vigil shortly after their dying, with many carrying inexperienced to honour their stage position in The Wizard of Oz ‘s West Finish run and U.Ok. tour in 2024.
An inquest into the dying will happen in late June as a autopsy examination revealed an “unnatural explanation for dying,” the BBC previously reported.
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