Brave Drag Race star The Vivienne beat drug addiction with help from ex-husband after being told ‘you’ll be dead by 30’
TRAGIC RuPaul’s Drag Race winner The Vivienne charmed millions of viewers as a larger-than-life performer who bravely wore their heart on their sleeve.
And over the years, the 32-year-old – whose shocking death was announced at the weekend – has been candid about their biggest struggle, battling a debilitating drug addiction that sparked fears they would be “dead by 30”.
The popular performer, who appeared on Dancing On Ice and this Christmas’s Blankety Blank special, end up in hospital three times in one month after becoming hooked on the Class B drug ketamine.
But The Vivienne, whose real name was James Lee Williams, kicked the habit around seven years ago and inspirationally used their platform to raise awareness about the dangers of addiction.
The cause of the drag queen’s death is not known at the moment and there is no suggestion that they relapsed.
The Welsh-born star, who moved to Liverpool aged 16, first encountered the “party drug” while performing.
They became famous after winning the first RuPaul’s Drag Race in 2019 and appeared in stage shows such as Wicked and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
But constant touring was draining, with James admitting last year “six months non stop touring, eight shows a week really took its toll.”
Their death has shocked the showbusiness world, with Ariana Grande, The Pussycat Dolls’ Ashley Roberts and Emmerdale’s Lisa Riley all paying tribute to The Vivienne.
After finding fame on the reality TV show RuPaul’s Drag Race, The Vivienne told The Gay Times how they nearly didn’t make it that far.
James, who was often pictured in jeans and a T-shirt off stage, said: “When people say, ‘You’ve got to hit rock bottom to get further,’ it sounds so stupid but it’s the truth.
“I had to be kicked out of my house and told that I would be dead by the time I was 30.
“It was the loneliest part of my life, I was killing myself and my family don’t even know.
“I was p**sing my life up the wall and I could’ve been dead now if I didn’t do anything about it.”
Welsh wonder
James was born in Colwyn Bay in North Wales in 1992 and attended the private school Rydal Penrhos.
They came out as gay at an early age, but the school didn’t always appreciate James’s dress sense.
James said: “I came out quite early. Humour was my defence at school. I wasn’t bullied, because I was the funny kid.
“I’d turn up with a Louis Vuitton bag. Often my accessories would be confiscated.
“It wasn’t all bad. I was outside the headmaster’s office and another teacher told me I looked fabulous.”
Growing up, Paul O’Grady’s alter-ego Lily Savage and Dead or Alive singer Pete Burns were an inspiration.
James considered North Wales to be “fabulous and lovely”, but too “small” and moved to Liverpool aged 16.
They immediately got a job doing make-up in a department store and by the age of 17 were also working as a drag queen, although the pay was often “£30 and a bottle of WKD.”
James adopted the stage name The Vivienne because the key style choice was the late punk fashion designer Vivienne Westwood.
James said: “When I moved to Liverpool, I was always head to toe in Vivienne Westwood clothes, so everyone used to call me Vivienne.”
Drug hell
While lip-synching to songs and dressing as a woman was a lot of fun, there was a dark side to the party scene.
Talking about their addiction to ketamine, James told The Mirror it was their “breakfast, lunch and dinner”, explaining: “I could have three bags of it just putting my face on.
“I did it on and off for four years. I was getting evicted from apartments, I had no money.
“It was party drugs – but I couldn’t leave the drugs at the party. I’d been in hospital three times in a month, so I knew I needed help.”
I could be attacked at any moment simply for living my authentic life
The Vivienne
Finally, in 2017, with help from the NHS’s Armistead Centre in Liverpool, James kicked the habit.
They recalled: “It was do or die. I thought, ‘You owe the last ten months’ rent, you are lying to people around you, you’re doing it in work’.
“It got to the point where I thought, ‘Bye-bye’ to it and I went to Gran Canaria and went cold turkey.’
Fresh start
On the Spanish Island of Gran Canaria, James fell in love with wig salesman David Ludford, who was credited with helping to keep them off the illegal substance.
They got hitched in 2019 at London’s Heaven nightclub, with James suddenly finding fame.
Their victory on the first UK version of RuPaul’s Drag Race that year put them in massive demand.
James’s impressions of Donald Trump and Margaret Thatcher were a big draw, as were The Vivienne’s outlandish outfits.
They toured the world, going to places as far abroad as Australia, released music and appeared as a guest on TV shows such as the Weakest Link.
After five and a half years with David, “life got in the way” of their marriage and the couple got divorced.
After James’s death was announced, David said: “I’m so happy to say I not only met you but we was together, we was husbands and you was the biggest part of my life.
“You will always have a place in my heart. Going to miss you more than people will ever know. Sleep tight angel.”
Homophobic attack
Living as a gay, high-profile drag queen was not easy for James.
In June 2023 they got into a row with a man who criticised their appearance while waiting for food at a McDonald’s in Edge Lane, Liverpool, at midday.
The attacker, scaffolder Alan Whitfield, suddenly punched James in the face.
After being found guilty Whitfield, 52, was given a suspended prison sentence.
The district judge Paul Healey told Whitfield: “The most serious aggravating feature of the offence is the fact that it was motivated by hostility to the victim because of their sexual orientation.”
The violent attack left a mental scar on James.
In their victim statement they said: “For the first time in my life a lot more conscious that I could be attacked at any moment simply for living my authentic life.”
Final days
James, who lived in Chester, appeared to be in good spirits prior to their death on Sunday.
They posted images on Instagram alongside their mum and wrote about how exciting it was to be cast as The Childcatcher in the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang musical.
Publicist and friend Simon Jones said 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.”
A spokesman for Cheshire Police said: “Police attended, investigated the circumstances of the death of the 32-year-old man and concluded there were no suspicious circumstances.
“A file will be prepared for the coroner.”