Through a legal representative, the entertainer 'vehemently denied the allegations against her,' as outlined in the piece. However, a side of Needles reportedly darker than the aesthetic she popularized on the show emerged amid her reign, as she was accused in a Daily Beast exposé of using racist language and verbally abusing a minor. Her staying power to back it up became clear in the months after her win, as she released Billboard-charting music and appeared on several non- Drag Race TV shows ( Watch What Happens Live, Good Behavior) since taking the crown. As her performance as Michelle Visage during Snatch Game proved, Needles had the acting skills (and comedic mastery) to hold her own against some of the show's most formidable comediennes. Needles' appeal stretched beyond her ability to turn every runway into a haunted house of haute couture. Though she didn't win AS7 overall, she did take the honorary Queen of She Done Already Done Had Herses title and a $50,000 cash prize at the end of her run.ĭrag Race's resident queen of macabre marvels introduced the show's fandom to a fresh approach to the craft after three seasons filled with more conventionally appealing (but no less exciting) ladies. She's also a savvy writer, often enlightening her Facebook followers with brilliantly candid essays, all while cranking out dance-pop singles on her own terms (and appearing in fashion campaigns plus a Blondie music video) since taking the title, which be vied for a second time on the fan-favorite All Stars 7 season in 2022. Each week, she delivered mind-blowing look after mind-blowing look and has since blossomed into one of the show's most beloved winners thanks to her frankness (her recap series on YouTube, Fashion Photo RuView, is a fine showcase for this) and bold honesty (she served piping hot reads to Drag Race girls on social media long before Bianca Del Rio came into the fold). Raja stepped into the Werk Room with a small dose of fame already coursing through her veins (fans of America's Next Top Model will remember her as Sutan, the adorably sassy makeup artist who worked on the show between 20), but she took RuPaul's Drag Race to the next level as the show's third-and, up to that point, most accomplished-champion. 'Drag queen is cleared and now a week later new charges of 'exposure of sexual organs' because the drag queen protested in drag? Get real.' 'A drag queen is wrongfully arrested, the drag queen protests, the charges are dropped,' Ross told EW when reached for comment. Still, Ross has since apologized, though he recently clashed with All Stars 8 queen Naysha Lopez online, and was arrested twice in 2023 - once for allegedly resisting arrest, and again after he protested that arrest while wearing a dildo in public.

He seemingly called for violence against his fellow series alums on social media, and was reportedly investigated by the FBI and banned from DragCon for making threatening posts ahead of the 2018 event. Unfortunately, after receiving a wave of racist vitriol from the fandom, Ross has since become a pariah among other Drag Race fans (and contestants) for his controversial behavior. Back when RuPaul's Drag Race was still a fledgling, niche program finding its way through the pop cultural landscape, Sanchez appeared to have the perfect blend of hard-edged candor and showstopping, glamorous sensibilities to make a wider audience take note. It's difficult to deny the talents of James Ross - formerly known as Tyra Sanchez - as a drag queen, at least the way he presented them across the show's second season. Here's to getting to see more of what she can milk out of the original title now that Lady Camerooooooon is on equal ground. In the end, Benet got her footing on the right stage at the wrong time, but All-Stars 3 reintroduced her to a new audience. Drag Race rose to prominence after she had been crowned, with the original season even being affectionately referred to as 'The Lost Season' by Mama Ru. But as far as her reach as America's Drag Superstar goes, Benet still has a long way to go to catch up to her sisters, and it's not entirely her fault. Thankfully, RuPaul made the right decision to cast her on 2018's All Stars 3, repositioning her for contemporary audiences.

The only problem is the relative brevity of her original season's run, meaning less Benet to go around as the show skyrocketed in popularity and all but eclipsed season 1's shine in subsequent years. OG champion BeBe Zahara Benet had all the essential elements that carried her across the first Drag Race finish line back in 2009.

Milk drag queen out of drag