The former husband of drag artist The Vivienne, who recently passed away, has shared an emotional tribute. On social media, David Ludford shared that they were “shattered” following the devastating news and called the artist an “angel”.
On Sunday, January 5, it was confirmed that RuPaul’s Drag Race series one winner The Vivienne had died at the age of 32. The performer, whose real name was James Lee Williams and was originally from Colwyn Bay in north Wales but moved to Liverpool when they were 16, became the first winner of the UK version of the popular drag queen competition show in 2019.
Since then, the performer’s career grew from strength to strength, including starring in Morning T&T on WOW Presents Plus, a series The Vivienne Takes on Hollywood, the Netflix show I Like to Watch and took part the 2020 special of The Great British Sewing Bee. They became the
On Sunday, their publicist Simon Jones announced the news on Instagram. He wrote in a statement: “It is with immense sadness that we let you know our beloved James Lee Williams – The Vivienne, has passed this weekend. James was an incredibly loved, warm-hearted, and amazing person.
“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. We will not be releasing any further details. We please ask that James’s family are given the time and privacy they now need to process and grieve.”
Tributes for the star have poured in far and wide, with the likes of Dancing On Ice judge Oti Mabuse remembering The Vivienne for being a “phenomenal entertainer” and “trailblazer”, while fellow RuPaul’s Drag Race winner, the American drag artist Jinkx Monsoon said the star made a “mark in our hearts”.
