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Three months aft RuPaul’s Drag Race UK winner The Vivienne, besides known arsenic James Lee Williams, died astatine 32, their household and manager elaborate their origin of death.
By Olivia Evans Mar 18, 2025 5:39 PM | Updated 1 infinitesimal ago
‘Rupaul’s Drag Race UK’ Season 1 Winner The Vivienne Dead astatine 32
The Vivienne‘s loved ones are sharing caller details astir their death.
Nearly 3 months aft the archetypal RuPaul’s Drag Race UK winner, besides known arsenic James Lee Williams, passed distant astatine the property of 32, their household confirmed they died from a cardiac apprehension caused by the effects of taking ketamine.
As sister Chanel Williams told BBC March 17, their household volition "continue to beryllium wholly devastated" by the performer’s decease and they’ll beryllium “working with a substance maltreatment foundation to rise consciousness of the dangers of the drug.”
Williams’ manager Simon Jones also confirmed his friend’s origin of death.
“I anticipation that by releasing this information, we tin rise consciousness astir the dangers of ongoing ketamine usage and what it tin bash to your body,” Jones said successful a statement. “Ketamine usage is connected the rise, peculiarly amongst young people, and I don’t deliberation the full dangers of the drug are being discussed.”
Williams’ decease was confirmed successful January, aft their assemblage was discovered successful the bath of their Chorlton-by-Backford, Cheshire home.
“James was an incredibly loved, warm-hearted and astonishing person,” Jones had written successful a connection confirming his client’s death. “Their household are heartbroken astatine the nonaccomplishment of their son, member and uncle. They are truthful arrogant of the fantastic things James achieved successful their beingness and career.”
Williams, a autochthonal of Wales, began performing successful resistance erstwhile they were conscionable 16, and made a transportation with RuPaul’s Drag Race successful 2015, erstwhile they became a UK ambassador for the U.S.-based series. Four years later, they went connected to triumph the show’s inaugural UK-based season, and aboriginal performed connected RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars’ seventh season in 2022.
Emma McIntyre/Getty Images
During their archetypal quality connected the series, Williams had opened up astir their previous battles with addiction.
“It was enactment drugs, but I couldn’t permission the drugs astatine the party—it was changeless for me,” Williams said during a 2019 occurrence of Drag Race. “I’m 2 years cleanable of drugs and I consciousness astonishing for it and I conscionable privation to usage that level to assistance different people.”
In effect to losing their loved one, Williams’ household is partnering with Adferaid, a UK enactment helping those who conflict with substance maltreatment and intelligence wellness challenges.
Williams’ sister antecedently told Attitude, “If we tin assistance rise consciousness of the dangers of this drug, and assistance radical who whitethorn beryllium dealing with ketamine addiction, past thing affirmative volition travel from this implicit tragedy.”
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