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The Vivienne features on Blankety Blank Christmas Special
Trailblazing drag artist and entertainer James Lee Williams, better known as The Vivienne, passed away last week at the age of 32.
James’s death was announced by their publicist Simon Jones on Sunday, January 5, just days after their final TV appearance on Blankety Blank.
Simon’s statement read: “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.”
Fans of The Vivienne have spoken out about the online abuse they received before their death (Image: BBC)
The publicist also emphasized the Williams family’s need for privacy to grieve the loss.
The Vivienne’s death has reignited conversations about the devastating impact of online abuse on public figures, particularly in the LGBTQ+ community.
Sadly, in the days leading up to their death, The Vivienne faced an onslaught of homophobic trolling following their appearance on the Christmas special of Blankety Blank.
Fans of the drag queen have spoken out against this awful behaviour, cautioning people to watch their words online.
James Lee Williams sadly passed away last week (Image: Getty)
Writer Tom Knight lamented: “It breaks my heart that The Vivienne spent her last few days being relentlessly hounded by homophobic trolls for appearing in drag on Blankety Blank. Shame on you if you were a part of that. James deserved better.”
Another wrote: “No matter the circumstances of her death, to have received that much abuse in the last week of your life must have been horrific. Such a tragic loss for the drag and LGBTQ+ community.”
A third added: “Hadn't realised The Vivienne was the queen all the bigots and terfs were raging at for daring to be on Blankety Blank of all shows this Christmas. I'm not saying they're to blame but I really hope they're happy that that's how they treated her in her final days. Utter losers.”
Others pointed out the hypocrisy of the backlash, given the show was famously hosted by drag queen Lily Savage for years.
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Cheshire Police have confirmed they were called to an address in Chorlton-by-Backford on Sunday afternoon and found no suspicious circumstances surrounding James’s death.
The Vivenne’s career took off after they became the UK drag ambassador for the US series of RuPaul’s Drag Race in 2015.
They made history by winning the inaugural UK series of the show in 2019 after dazzling fans with their charisma, and delivering a memorable final lip-sync to Wham!’s I’m Your Man.
They later appeared on RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars and competed in the 2023 season of Dancing on Ice, finishing as a finalist in third place.
Unfortunately, James was no stranger to homophobic abuse while they were alive. In 2022, they were the victim of a hate crime in Liverpool.
They were left with a bruised face after being punched by a scaffolder in an attack that was deemed “appalling” by the judge at Liverpool magistrates court.
English (US) ·