The British drag artist The Vivienne died from cardiac arrest that was caused by taking ketamine, their family told the BBC on Monday.
The winner of RuPaul‘s Drag Race UK, whose real name was James Lee Williams, died in January at age 32. Their sister, Chanel Williams, told the BBC her family is still “completely devastated,” but wished to reveal the cause of death to help others.
“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,” she said.
Williams’s publicist, Simon Jones, confirmed the cause of death in posts on Instagram and X.
In a separate statement, the British substance abuse charity Adferiad said it will co-ordinate with the family on a campaign aimed at fostering conversation about, and reducing the stigma of, drug use.
Open about struggles
Born in Wales and raised in Liverpool, Williams’s star first rose after becoming a U.K. drag ambassador for the American TV series RuPaul’s Drag Race, leading to a cameo on that show’s eighth season. After winning the show in 2019, they returned for the seventh season of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars in 2022.
Williams later became the first drag performer to compete on the figure skating competition Dancing on Ice, coming in third, and also released music. Williams was well-known for their humour and impression of U.S. President Donald Trump and, throughout their career, was often open about their struggles with addiction and substance abuse.
Their drag name was inspired by fashion designer Vivienne Westwood, whose clothing Williams would often wear. Hundreds attended a Liverpool vigil shortly after their death, with many wearing green to honour their stage role in The Wizard of Oz ‘s West End run and U.K. tour in 2024.
An inquest into the death will take place in late June as a post-mortem examination revealed an “unnatural cause of death,” the BBC previously reported.
