The family of Ru Paul’s Drag Race star The Vivienne has confirmed the drag queen died from a cardiac arrest after taking ketamine.
The news comes after The Vivienne, whose real name was James Lee Williams, was found dead in their home in the UK in January 2025.
The Vivienne’s sister, Chanel Williams, spoke about their cause of death in a statement cited by BBC News, saying the family ‘continue to be completely devastated’ by the death of the performer, who was just 32 years old when they died.
The Vivienne rose to prominence through RuPaul’s Drag Race (Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)
Local police have said there are no suspicious circumstances surrounding The Vivienne’s death, and their manager and close friend, Simon Jones, has said the family chose to release their cause of death to try and raise awareness about the use of ketamine.
He said: “I hope by us releasing this information we can raise awareness about the dangers of ongoing ketamine usage and what it can do to your body.”
Ketamine a dissociative drug which is known to produce some hallucinogenic effects, and can distort perceptions of sight and sound. The substance can make the user feel disconnected and not in control.
According to the US Drug Enforcement Agency, an overdose of ketamine can cause unconsciousness and dangerously slowed breathing.
The Vivienne had previously spoken publicly about substance abuse, admitting they were ‘a drug addict for four years of ‘[their] life’.
“It was party drugs, but I couldn’t leave the drugs at the party,” they said on one episode of Drag Race. “It was constant for me.”
Williams said of her sibling’s death: “Ketamine is an extremely dangerous drug that is becoming more and more prevalent in the UK. If we can help raise awareness of the dangers of this drug and help people who may be dealing with ketamine addiction then something positive will come from this complete tragedy.”
The Vivienne has been remembered by fans across the globe (Mike Marsland/WireImage)
An inquest into The Vivienne’s death is set to take place in June.
The Drag Race star rose to fame after they were named as the UK Drag Ambassador for the reality series RuPaul’s Drag Race in 2015. They went on to win the first series of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK in 2019, and later made an appearance on the US version of Drag Race All Stars.
The performer, who grew up in Wales, has been remembered by fans across the globe in the wake of her passing.
Following their death, RuPaul, who hosts the reality show, told fans: “We’re going to remember our dear The Vivienne, with love, life, and that’s what she was all about.”
