10 Biggest Betrayals In 'RuPaul's Drag Race' Herstory
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
All tea, all shade!
VH1; Paramount+
This is RuPaul’s Drag Race, not RuPaul’s Best Friend Race, and we think that’s becoming clearer than ever in recent years.
Overall, this series has had a history of shady moves, questionable choices, and shocking lipstick eliminations. Though most queens attempt to play a “fair” game that pleases the audience and keeps them in the fandom’s good graces, there are also queens who defied viewers and chose to make decisions of their own – no matter which consequences would ensue.
Many of those polarizing decisions led queens to feel betrayed… which, to be fair, makes for excellent television. But many of them still had to deal with some backlash at the time, even if history has proven that some of these situations were destined to happen.
Scroll through to check out the biggest betrayals in RuPaul’s Drag Race herstory – and tune in to watch All Stars 8 every Friday on Paramount+.
Detox vs. Alyssa Edwards (All Stars 2)
Alyssa Edwards Elimination All Stars 2 - RuPaul's Reaction
Drag Race fans were not very happy with the fact that Roxxxy Andrew survived being in the bottom five times on All Stars 2, but the final time that she survived was certainly the one that hurt the most. In episode seven, Roxxxy Andrews was in the bottom with Alaska (the frontrunner of the competition) and Alyssa Edwards (who had won more challenges than Andrews).
Many viewers felt like Edwards was deserving of a spot in the top four… but Detox was the top queen of the week and voted to save her best friend, Andrews, which meant sending Edwards home.
The jury vs. Shangela (All Stars 3)
The Eliminated Queens’ Votes (Deleted Scene) | RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 3
Shangela got all the way to the grand finale of All Stars 3 only to save a jury of eliminated queens who would determine the top two of the season. Shockingly, in a jury of six queens, Shangela only got one of them (Thorgy Thor) to vote for her to make it through. To say that the fandom was shocked, gagged, and appalled is the understatement of the century.
At the time, fans completely flipped out over the fact that Shangela received the lowest number of votes out of the top four for a chance to lip sync for the crown.
Naomi Smalls vs. Manila Luzon (All Stars 4)
Naomi Smalls Eliminating Manila Luzon
The first episode of All Stars 4 featured Naomi Smalls talking about how much she idolized Manila Luzon and how she had gotten into Drag Race watching Luzon’s original season. Cut to a few episodes later, with Smalls having to choose between Luzon and Latrice Royale in the bottom two, and Smalls chose to eliminate her idol, Luzon, from the competition.
There are, of course, tangible reasons that contributed to this elimination (there was an impression that Luzon was playing a sneaky game). However, the overwhelming majority of fans felt like this was one of the biggest betrayals in Drag Race herstory.
Eureka vs. Trinity K. Bonet (All Stars 6)
— (@)
After being eliminated from All Stars 6, Eureka broke Silky Nutmeg Ganache’s Lip Sync Rudemption streak and made her way back into the competition. The following episode, Eureka landed in the top spot and had the option to send anybody home, ultimately having the power in her hands to determine who would be the top four of the season.
Against all odds, Eureka chose to eliminate Trinity K. Bonet, who she claimed to have a crush on all season long, and who had won multiple challenges on All Stars 6. Many fans considered this a shocking betrayal not only between these two queens, but also because Bonet certainly deserved a spot in the top four.
Alexis Michelle vs. LaLa Ri (All Stars 8)
— (@)
The most recent example of a brutal Drag Race betrayal took place in episode eight of All Stars 8. After spending all season long talking about having a crush on LaLa Ri, praising all of her performances, and then getting saved by Ri as the Top All Star of episode seven, Alexis Michelle did a complete 180.
As she landed in the top spot and won the lip sync against Nicky Doll, Michelle could’ve eliminated Kandy Muse (whose ties with her are unclear besides both of them being from New York City) or Ri. In the end, Michelle eliminated Ri… which many fans believe was a very wrong decision – as well as a personal betrayal.
Alexis Mateo vs. Carmen Carrera (Season 3)
Safe Sex PSA: Jocks Get Drag Makeover 👯 Performance Challenge | S3 E12 | RuPaul's Drag Race
Alexis Mateo won the mini challenge during the makeover episode of Drag Race season three, which meant that she could pair up with the queens with the “jocks” that they were making over for the maxi challenge.
There is absolutely no doubt that Mateo gave Carmen Carrera the hardest guy to work with, particularly given that Carrera’s strength was showing off her body and being sensual on the runway. Though Mateo and Carrera weren’t necessarily the best of friends, Mateo had plenty of other enemies in the competition at the time… which made this particular decision a rather pointed one.
Kennedy Davenport vs. Jaidynn Diore Fierce (Season 7)
RuPaul's Drag Race | Sissy That Walk: Conjoined Queens | Season 7
During the makeover challenge of season seven (“Conjoined Queens”), the remaining queens were paired up with eliminated queens. In the end, the winner of this maxi challenge got to bring back that eliminated queen into the competition, whereas a currently-standing competitor would be sent home. As the winner of the mini challenge, Kennedy Davenport got to assign which queens would be paired up.
Davenport was pretty fair across the board, pairing up queens who either looked alike or were friends to begin with… except, well, when the time came for Jaidynn Diore Fierce, who she paired up with Tempest DuJour. Not only were these two different in absolutely every single way, but they weren’t friends, either. Fierce and DuJour put their confident faces on, but they did express feeling betrayed by Davenport’s pairing strategy.
Nina Bo’Nina Brown vs. Shea Couleé (Season 9)
Shea Couleé Has Had it w/ Nina Bo'Nina Brown | RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 9
The general consensus is that absolutely nothing that was shown in the final edit of Drag Race season nine showed any indication that Shea Couleé betrayed Nina Bo’Nina Brown’s trust in any way, or even spoke badly about her behind her back… but that’s still how Brown felt all season long, making this one of the most memorable Drag Race “betrayals” of all time.
Brown was (and is) extremely convinced that Couleé backstabbed her in the competition at various points, though fans were never able to clock when those situations actually took place.
Mariah Carey Diva Worship Team vs. themselves (Season 11)
Team Mariah Gives Glory To Mimi In The Diva Worship Maxi Challenge 💄 RuPaul's Drag Race
If you can’t betray yourself, how in the hell are you going to betray somebody else?
Throughout the entire herstory of RuPaul’s Drag Race, there’s never been a clearer example of self-sabotage than when a team of queens in season 11 got together and deliberately chose Mariah Carey as their “diva worship” popstar for a maxi challenge... despite none of them knowing anything about the singer. That team consisted of A’Keria C. Davenport, Honey Davenport, Plastique Tiara, Ra’Jah O’Hara, Scarlet Envy, and Shuga Cain. In the end, all six queens had to pay for their complete and utter failure by facing off in a dramatic lip sync for your life that culminated in the elimination of Honey Davenport.
Blu Hydrangea vs. Pangina Heals vs. Jimbo (UK vs the World Season 1)
Blu Hydrangea eliminates... RPDR UK vs The World 🌎
The snowball effect that transpired on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK vs the World started when Pangina Heals won a lip sync for your legacy and eliminated her biggest competitor on the show, Jimbo. That was immediately followed one week later by Blu Hydrangea landing in the top, winning the lip sync, and sending Heals home.
While this is all fair in the game of All Stars seasons, the elimination of two frontrunners one right after the other was an absolute shock to fans. It also seemed clear at the time that Jimbo felt betrayed by Heals, and Heals felt betrayed by Hydrangea as well.
