RuPaul breaks silence on Tyra Sanchez’s controversial ‘crematorium’ tweet about The Vivienne’s death

RuPaul has broken his silence after Tyra Sanchez posted a controversial tweet about their recently deceased co-star The Vivienne.

Vivienne, aka James Lee Williams, who won the first series of reality TV show RuPaul’s Drag Race UK in 2019, was found dead last weekend aged 32.

Sanchez, aka James Ross, feuded with The Vivienne almost five years ago and has responded to news of the shock death with a scathing jibe at the late performer.

On Monday, Sanchez reposted a tweet from The Vivienne from July 2020, in which the latter wrote: ‘Bet Tyra was fuming when she realized Netflix ruined the win too. Sorry girl. You tried though.’ Citing the tweet, Sanchez replied: “Still, it doesn’t compare to the fumes from the crematorium.”

Sanchez, another Drag Race alum, was met with a vocal backlash on social media from fans of The Vivienne who were outraged by the post.

Amid the furor, RuPaul posted a throwback video on Instagram on Wednesday showing him pretending to slap Sanchez during an acting challenge on Drag Race.

Many fans in the comments interpreted the post as a response to Sanchez’s tweet, with one writing: ‘MOM LMFAOOO’ and another exclaiming: ‘Do it again!!’

A third fan wrote: ‘YASSSS mum has spoken’, as a fourth wrote: ‘She knows what she did. She. KNOWZ!!’ and a fifth remarked approvingly, ‘As you should, mother.’

While news of The Vivienne’s death sparked an outpouring of grief from fans, Sanchez, winner of the 2010 American version of the show, took to social media to reignite a social media feud with The Vivienne from nearly five years earlier by posting her crematorium- tweet.

Faced with criticism from fans and fellow drag stars alike, Sanchez was unrepentant, writing on social media the following day: ‘She is dead. Decaying. Sending me all the hate in the world won’t bring her back. But do as you must.

‘Because of you, the tweet has reached over 25,000 people. Thank you for the much needed attention that I oh so desperately needed.’

And despite further criticism, with X users labeling the drag queen ‘disgusting’ and ‘twisted’, Sanchez’s position was further cemented on Tuesday night when she posted a photo of a crematorium oven with the caption: ‘Songs I’d play if I owned a crematorium.’

The soundtrack to the post was the Alicia Keys hit Girl on Fire.

Social media users once again reacted with fury, variously labeling Sanchez as ‘disgusting’, ‘despicable’ and ‘sad’.

“You are so f****** disgusting,” one user wrote under the post.

‘How sad that you once had the status of queen and are now just a despicable vagabond starving for a pitiful show, laaaaaame,’ wrote another.

A third added: ‘Girl you were too scared to answer when The Vivienne was alive so you had to clap back after they passed? You’re sorry, get a life.’

RuPaul led a wave of tributes to The Vivienne after her death was announced by the artist’s publicist, Simon Jones, on Sunday.

‘She will be deeply missed, but her legacy will live on as a beacon of creativity and authenticity – she embodied what it means to be a true champion,’ he wrote on X. ‘Our hearts go out to her family and fans during this difficult time.’

In an update on Monday, a Cheshire Police spokesman said officers were called to an address in Chorlton-by-Backford at 12.22pm on Sunday following reports of a sudden death.

“Police attended, investigated the circumstances surrounding the 32-year-old man’s death and concluded there were no suspicious circumstances,” a police spokesman said. ‘A case will be prepared for the coroner.’

Williams, whose drag name The Vivienne was rooted in her love of fashion designer Vivienne Westwood, first gained attention in 2015 as the British drag ambassador for the American version of RuPaul’s Drag Race.

Four years later, Williams won the first UK edition of the show, and later appeared in series seven of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars. The kite performer also finished third in the 2023 Dancing on Ice final.

Other career milestones came with appearances in a touring production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and a turn as the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz.

“I love Vivienne Westwood and when I moved to Liverpool everyone used to call me Vivienne as I was head to toe in Westwood,” The Vivienne explained in 2019.

‘My style is like a Scouse wife who came into money, she moved to LA and blew it all and then she had to move back to Liverpool.’

The Vivienne’s death was announced by Jones on Sunday.

“It is with tremendous sadness that we inform you that our beloved James Lee Williams – The Vivienne, has passed over the weekend,” Jones wrote.

‘James was an incredibly loved, warm-hearted and amazing person. Their family is devastated by the loss of their son, brother and uncle. They are so proud of the wonderful things James accomplished in their lives and careers.

‘We will not release further details. We ask that James’ family be given the time and privacy they now need to process and grieve.’