13x09 - Corona Can't Keep a Good Queen Down

[bunniefuu]

I've been tested,

I have had multiple Q-tips
up my nose,

my hands are washed,
I've been quarantined,

and I'm safe.

So if you want all the tea,
ask right now,

'cause I'm gonna
give it to you all.

People are constantly asking me

what filming during
the pandemic was like,

and I tell them it was...

insane. [laughs]

RuPaul: In 2020, the Coronavirus

shut down the world

and changed
all of our lives forever.

You want a twist, honey?

You thought Drag Race
was gonna go away

because Miss COVID
came up in here.

No, darling. [laughs]

RuPaul: In the middle of it all,

the queens and crew

ofRuPaul's Drag Race
made herstory,

becoming one of
the first productions

to be shot
in the age of COVID-19.

This is the story
of how 13 queens

defied the odds
during a global pandemic

and looked damn good doing it.

To be able to film

one of the biggest shows
in the world

through a pandemic

shows how amazing
drag queens are,

and to be a part of that history

or herstory, rather,

is an amazing feeling.

I thought to myself,
I should be excited.

But I'm frightened.

I don't know
what's gonna happen.

All I know is

I'm not letting anyone
take this chance away from me,

and if I gotta
risk my life to do it,

I'm gonna risk my life to do it.

Ladies, follow me.

This is such a unique season,

[cellphone buzzes] and, like...

I'm so sorry.
I put this on "do not disturb."

Oh, wait.

Oh, it's a state of emergency.

"New public health
stay at home order in your area.

"COVID-19 is spreading rapidly.

"Stay home except
for essential activity.

Wear a mask.
Keep your distance."

All right, quiet please.

We are rolling.

Copy. Here they come
in three, two, one.


was going to be the year.

There was so much hope

and a lot
of really big opportunities

and a lot of promise.

Miss Paradise 2020

goes to Miss Olivia Lux!

I did a pageant and I won

and I swept all the categories.

I was a fulltime drag queen

working at Lips of Atlanta,
darling.

You know, making her coins,
making her ducats.

Like, I'm just living
my best life.

[doorbell rings]

Well, hello, RuPaul's Drag Race.

Thanks for stopping by.

Why don't you come on in?

RuPaul: With hopeful hearts
and a lot of hairspray,



sent in theirDrag Race
audition videos,

each with a dream
of superstardom

and no idea of
the impending global threat

on the horizon.

Hi, I'm Denali.

Ice to meet you. Ha-ha.

I had this dream
to get on RuPaul's Drag Race.

It just meant the world.

I wanted to get on Drag Race
for a long time.

I feel like
I started watching it

when I was in,
like, eighth grade.

We had just sent in

our Drag Race audition tapes,

so I had my high hopes.

I was like, oh, girl,

I'm gonna get on
Season 13 this year.

I wanted to be cast so bad.

Wow! So, no. [laughs]

I had such a good time
filming my tape this year.

I'm on the New York City subway,

and in true New York style,

nobody gives a shit.

Ooh, child, I'm getting hungry.

To have the opportunity
to go on a show

that you get to showcase
your art to the world,

I mean, you can't
put money on that.

It has $100,000 on it, honey,

but, you know.

In the beginning of the year,



And then
everything went to shit.

I think I can speak for myself.

No, actually,
I can speak for the world.

I'm sure we were all
gooped and gagged.

Reporter: The first known cases
of the Coronavirus

were reported here
at an open-air market

in Wuhan, China.

I'm a news buff,

so therefore
I'm always watching the news.

And October 19th,

there was an outbreak
going on in China.

I assumed that it was going
to reach the United States.

It is 10 times more lethal

than the seasonal flu.

Tamisha:
I knew it was dangerous,

and I knew with me

recovering from
my cancer situation.

I could possibly die from it

because I was in
a high risk category.

The number of cases
of COVID-19 outside China

has increased 13-fold.

[sirens]

COVID hit the U.S.,

and that's when
the chaos reigned.

Everyone was freaking out.

It was just, like, really scary

because I was
constantly reading stories

about people who looked Asian

being discriminated against
or, like, assaulted

because people were
so scared about COVID

and blaming China for the virus.

I'm not Chinese,

but are people
gonna be afraid of me?

And I just remember it
just getting worse and worse.

We were put on alert.

You don't know
quite what's happening.

No one's saying anything.

We don't have
any leadership from the top.

We're doing a great job with it,
and it will go away.

Just stay calm.

I don't think so, sis.

I was actually at Lips.

One of the hosts came in

and said, you know
that we're gonna shut down

for, like, two weeks.

And, girl, I was, like, girl,

we not gonna shut down
for no two whole weeks, honey.

[cheering]

I was hosting my party,

and I was actually
staying away from the audience.

I would go up
to my dressing room

just because
I wanted to be very safe.

Because I wasn't sure

the extent of how dangerous
Coronavirus was.

I was taking it seriously,

but I was definitely
thinking of it more as, like,

this is my last chance
to go out.

I need to go to West Hollywood

before it closes or whatever.

I was doing a show
at The Stonewall.

It was really, really packed,

because I think everyone knew
this was it.

It was the second week in March
that everything shut down.

The entire Earth stood still.

In New York, the bars shut down,

and that life is a very
big thing in New York City.

And I think at that time,
everyone was just, like,

okay, like, bitch,
we gotta stay home.

My livelihood, my jobs,

my sources of income
are surrounded by people.

All of it got canceled,

and so I was kinda
left out in the cold.

I was, like, how am I
gonna make money?

I became a**l.

If I gotta go
to the grocery store,

the plastic bags
couldn't come in the house.

We had to wash everything down.

My other half, he was, like,
well, just calm down.

And I'm, like,
you don't understand.

Like, I got to get to Drag Race.

I started to get
a little worried

because I do drag fulltime,

so that's
my only source of income.

And reading the news
really made me realize,

like, oh, we are in
a serious situation.

So I was, like, okay.

DragRace is gonna
probably be filmed 2021,

which means we'll probably
have to audition

all over again, honey,
thanks to COVID.

RuPaul: While my girls

worry about their drag dreams
slipping away,

a tragedy puts life
into perspective.

The death of legendary
New York drag queen Mona Foot

really shook the q*eer
community in New York.

When Mona passed away,

that's when it really
set in for everyone

that it was, like,

oh, my God,
like, that can be me.

And I tested positive for COVID.

Bitch, it would be my life

to get COVID and die
before Drag Race.

I tested positive for COVID-19

a week or two
after New York City shut down.

And I feel like I know
exactly where I got it.

I know that it was
at that last gig.

I was, you know,
away from the audience.

I still got it.

It was the second week in March

that I was, like,
really feeling sick,

more sick than
I've, like, ever gotten.

And I remember
calling my mom late at night

She is a registered nurse.

She was in New Jersey,
I was in Brooklyn,

and she asks me
all these questions.

And I remember
rattling off all the things

that later on became
the, like, checkmark list

for COVID-19.

The fever, the chills.

Later on I had
a loss of taste and smell.

At that point, my own mother

became my personal nurse,

and I just, like,
fought through it.

I remember laying in bed

and not being able
to breathe and eat.

First of all, hold on.

I could not taste anything.

And you know
a bitch like me loves to eat.

On top of that,
I have really bad asthma,

so not being able to breathe
was also terrible.

I think at one point
I thought to myself,

like, if anything happens
to me in this apartment,

I'm gonna be by myself.

So, baby, they would
walk up in there to a...

a "Sleeping Beauty"
very much asleep.

My boyfriend Eddie
is a nurse in Brooklyn,

and I was terrified for him

because Eddie was around
the virus every day.

So he and I
did choose to separate.

We just felt like
it was the safest way

for us to keep each other safe.

Before the Coronavirus happened,

I was literally
preparing my audition.

And he was
able to support me so much

and physically
be there for me, too.

For me to not have
that ability to reciprocate

when he was going through
something

really trying in his career
was tough.

I think we were, like,

a month and a half
into quarantine,

and I was just, like,
I don't think

we're gonna be going away
to film Drag Race.

Every drag queen was sitting
in her living room doing nothing

until, you know,
they were, like,

let's get something going.

Let's do some digital drag.

Let's keep the community alive.

I had so much,
I call it "w*r energy,"

flowing through my veins.

I had to keep my dream alive

and make sure that
I wasn't going to get a call

from Ru months later

gained 20 pounds,
like, not doing anything,

completely out of sorts.

As my mom once said,

please move out
as soon as possible.

Right in the middle
of quarantine,

me and my fiance, we decided

that I was gonna dress up
and he was gonna cook

and we called it
Boozy Bo and the Queen.

I made her
a really gay cocktail.

It's so delicious.

Tastes like candy.

I kept this, like, fire
inside me,

and I was just, like,
right now people are scared.

People are terrified.

I wanted to be able

to put the world
on pause for a minute.

I'm walking around the house
in pumps,

throwing these videos out there.

You could never have a show,

'cause you are not
that kind of girl.

I was going through it.

Bitch!

I didn't think I was,

but, like, looking back,
I'm, like,

you were just yelling
at your plant.

RuPaul: While my Season 13 girls

were struggling to stay hopeful,

another batch of queens

provided a much needed
ray of light,

and also raised questions

about what a season
filmed during lockdown

would look like.

[telephone rings]

♪ Bring back my girls

Watching the Season 12 finale

was kind of hopeful in a way,

'cause, like, you know,
they made it work.

They made a way out of no way.

♪ Oh, yes

Look for me, bitch.

I am right on
the left side of Dahlia.

I'm the boyish bitch
in the back.

You can't miss me.

And I thought to myself,
like, okay.

Are they gonna have
a virtual Season 13?

So I thought RuPaul was gonna
be setting up in a webcam

every single week
with Michelle Visage

and telling you to sashay away,

and you already home.

♪ Bring back my girls

After watching
the Season 12 finale,

I, you know, was, like,
feeling a little bit, like,

the world could actually
start getting better.

- Amen!
- Amen!

But then it ended up
getting worse.

Reporter: George Floyd,

the unarmed Black man
in Minneapolis,

died in police custody.

On top of this pandemic,

we saw the m*rder
of George Floyd.

We saw someone's life
being taken away from him.

- Say his name!
- George Floyd!

- Say his name!
- George Floyd!

No justice, no peace!

No justice, no peace!

It was the first time in my time

we saw this country come
together in unity, supporting,

saying, hey, this is wrong,
and this has to change.

Shut it down!

It definitely influenced
my want to be on the show,

because I have to bring
awareness to this somehow.

If I got on and I have
a platform to do so,

what a privilege
to have some part

of making the country
and the world better, you know?

People ask me all the time
if I'm a political queen,

and my answer will always be

when I walk into a space
as a drag queen,

as a Black drag queen,
that's political.

So when I got the Drag Racecall,

the first thing I thought of

was how you're going
to use this platform

as a q*eer brown person,
and that felt awesome.

[ring]

[ring]

[ring]

[ring]

I got this call from L.A.

I was like, "Who
is calling me at this time?"

It was a California number,

and, like, I don't think
I had anything

from, like, collections
at the time from California,

so obviously, it was Drag Race.

I'm just kidding. I don't
have anything in collection.

Take that out.

I picked up the phone,
and I just heard,

"Hey, Denali,
are you alone right now?"

"Well, I wanna
congratulate you."

"You're gonna be a Ru girl."

Aah! That is crazy!

"Congratulations,
you have been selected

"as one of the contestants

on this year's season
of RuPaul's Drag Race."

And I just, like, wept,
drunkenly wept.

[sobs]

I literally screamed
on top of the balcony.

I had a full-on Tangledmoment

and just, like,
screamed to the heavens.

Yes! I made it! It's me!

It's time! It's my time!

I didn't scream or anything.

Like, I just froze in time.

Oh, my God!

It was just a light
out of all this craziness.

Like, being stuck at home,

not having a job. What a gift.

The first thing I thought of

was, like, okay,
how is this still happening?

Like, we are in
a global pandemic.

But, you know,
when RuPaul calls,

you just gotta take it.

I was, like, how would I prepare
to do a season right now?

And stay tuned,
because the f*ck I did.

[laughs]

[buzz]

You get the call,
and they're like,

"You've been selected
to go on RuPaul's Drag Race."

And you're like, mm,
hold the phone.

How is this going to happen?

And without a beat, the person
on the other side of that phone

goes, "Well,
let's get crafty, queen."

Excuse me? [laughs]

RuPaul: Full of drive
and determination,

my queens soon discovered

that their very first challenge
is prepping in a pandemic.

I'm a leotard kind of girl,

so I didn't really have
a huge wardrobe.

I was trying to figure out
how in the world

am I about to get all these
garments made during a pandemic.

All of the easily
accessible things

that wouldn't be a problem

are all of a sudden
really difficult.

There's a wig shortage.

There's not enough
lace-front wigs

to go around
in the entire world.

How the world
runs out of wigs is beyond me.

I don't understand that,
but it happened.

Fabric stores were closed.

Online ordering
was moving really slowly.

I found my favorite pump.

It was available in my size

only in the glow-in-the-dark
shade of bright lime green.

And so what I did was
I ordered, like, 10 pairs,

and we painted all my shoes.

One of the only fabric stores
that was open

was in Los Angeles,
so I'd full be in Santee Alley,

which is where
the fabric stores are,

in my own DIY hazmat suit.

This is my uniform.

[laughs]

I was lucky enough to be able
to, like, find fabric

and, like,
get things ready to go.

I had to do
a lot of the work myself.

There was a lot of late nights.

I had to reuse
a lot of my stuff,

like make things
into other things.

That's kind of, like,
the roots of drag, right?

Taking something
that you already have

or taking something

that you didn't think
could be something greater,

and actually, like,
making it greater.

RuPaul: Preparing your looks
forDrag Race is one challenge.

Preparing your life
is something else.

Prior coming to Drag Race,

it was really scary for me
to bring this up to my parents.

Because, like, I still haven't
shown them, like, Kahmora.

They don't know what drag is.

They don't know
what a drag queen is.

They're really traditional,
old-school Vietnamese.

And, like,
when I came out to my mom,

it was really difficult for her.

She didn't talk to me
for, like, two weeks.

But I knew I had to do it.

I basically told my parents

that I'm gonna be an actor
on a TV show in L.A.,

but I have to dress up
as a woman,

like, makeup and hair.

To my surprise,

they were just, like,
you know, you're an adult now.

We can't tell you what to do.

And, um, I just hope
that, like...

Sorry.

I hope that, like, when
she does see me as Kahmora,

I hope she is,
like, proud of me.

I just hope she sees, like,
how happy drag makes me feel,

and that's all I want, so...

[laughs]

Okay.

g*dd*mn it,
I didn't want to cry. [laughs]

Ooh, look at the flamingos.

My mom flew from Dallas
to Vegas for three days

before I had to leave,

to help me pack
and make sure I had everything.

And she actually
changed her flight

so that we would go
to the airport together

so she could see me off.

She always saw a light in me
and a star power in me,

and there's just something
so special about that,

about a parent being
so proud of their child.

The big thing
I was concerned about

was what if I got COVID
because of the flights?

I got, like, double-masked,

I got gloves, I got the visor,
I got the hand sanitizer.

I didn't have room for, like,
this big feathered headpiece.

It was basically my carry-on.

I didn't give a f*ck anymore

about what people
thought about me.

Like, I'm going
to chase my dreams.

Like, what
are you doing, like...

RuPaul: As my queens
were taking flight,

theDrag Race crew
began preparing

for a season like no other,

with a whole new set
of protocols.

So we land.
There's a PA waiting.

The van that pulls up
is like a hazmat van.

The driver is shielded off
from me with plastic.

He has on his PPE gear.

It's like the scene from E.T.,

how it's just, like, you're in
this clear, plastic bubble

in the back of a van.

[imitates E.T.] Elliott.

I felt like they were doing
everything in their power

to make sure that COVID
didn't rain on this parade.

RuPaul: Before stepping foot
on the set,

my quarantine queens
were isolated,

creating their own bubble

so they could eventually
all come together safely.

We get to the hotel,
and I hate being by myself.

I lost my mind at day one.

To pass the time
in the hotel room,

I did a lot of watching HGTV.

Child, I can build
an entire house

if I want to at this point.

I read RuPaul's book Guru.

[laughs] Multiple times.

I brought a DVD player and porn,

and it's good.

I would literally get off

to the noise of them slipping
the menu under my door.

Like, whoosh,
and I'd be, like, yeah.

[sobbing and laughing]

We started to look forward

to the envelopes
coming under the door,

because that's how you got
your meal requests.

Anything that was going on,
that was the communication.

This was my lifeline.
It has my initials on it.

QTI, standing for
"Queen Tamisha Iman."

The red folder
comes under the door yet again,

but now it's instructions
that tomorrow is the day.

The competition has begun.
Here's your call time.

Like, it's real.

That was the best news
I could ever hear.

I'm getting out of this room

and I am looking stunning

and I'm gonna go see RuPaul.

I remember walking
into the werkroom

and thinking, wow,
this is so beautiful.

I'm looking all around

and seeing
all the pictures of Ru.

And it wasn't till later
when I realized

that the werkroom

was kind of designed for us
that season.

Because of the Coronavirus,

adjustments had to be made
for social distancing,

and we had to have,
like, a huge room.

When I first walked in,
I was, like, exploring,

and I, like, got exhausted.

I was like, "Can I take
my f*cking heels off?"

I was like, "I'm f*cking
doing laps here."

This is, like, huge.

On top of the fact
that the werkroom was huge,

they also put Untucked
in the werkroom, which is fab.

But then we also
had a stage in the werkroom,

which actually I love.

Ah-choo.

She's sickening.

You know, I thought
about it afterward,

and I was like, jeez, just
a sneeze is a hot topic. Wow.

I knew that this was gonna be
a memorable season,

so I needed a mask
to show the world where we are.

I was a little skeptical
about wearing the mask

because, of course, this show
is being seen in 2021.

I didn't wanna bring back
any ideas of 2020

by wearing a mask.

And people are like,
"Oh, girl, she just reminded me

of the horrible life I had
in 2020 with this mask on."

You know, but, hey,
it's still going on, so...

[laughs]

Walking around that corner

and coming through
that werkroom entrance

is something
you're just, like, aa-aah!

I had been literally
in my apartment not performing.

I've had this mask on.

I haven't seen anyone's face
in, like, a really long time.

It was really exciting
to see the other girls,

because of the fact
that you're, like, people.

But then you instinctually,

because of
the situation we're in,

were like, am I allowed
to, like, go hug them?

I wanna hug 'em,

but then again, I'm like,
I don't wanna hug you.

We've been so used to, like,

being six feet apart
from everyone

that even, like,
getting close to someone

is, like, terrifying.

Oh!

After doing all of that

precautionary COVID-19
testing and quarantining,

now we're able
to be with one another

and kind of be,
like, normal again.

We get to be with
our Season 13 sisters,

not have the mask,
not have the shield.

To be around other human bodies

is such a gift that we
absolutely take for granted.

Because, you know, 2020
ripped that privilege from us.

Our season is unique

in that we filmed through COVID.

It just made us closer,

and it made us
appreciate it a lot more.

Now I want you to twirl inward,

and we're gonna
cinnamon roll you.

I'm a very affectionate person.

If someone needs
a little bit of uplift

and I can offer that, like,
through the touch of my body,

that touch
can be really powerful.

Utica is, like,
a giraffe of love.

It is a big deal.

Like, if you have not, like,
talked to the outside world,

been locked up in a hotel room,

and, like, have not talked
to any friends, family,

and have not been touched,

to finally hug someone,
it was gorgeous.

RuPaul: On set, my queens
were safe in their bubble.

And to keep it that way,

there were rules
we all had to follow.

So every day on the runway
and all over the set,

category is Precaution.

I felt really, really safe
on the set.

The Drag Raceteam
went above and beyond

with making sure
everything was done correct.

Temperature check
when you come on the set.

We're always
constantly getting tested.

The queens, we had to be tested
three times a week.

Child, that was
a traumatic experience,

because, you know,

getting COVID-tested
is very uncomfortable.

But it's something
that we knew we had to do

in order to make sure that
everyone around us is safe.

I started asking them
to take me out on dates,

because, girl, you
sticking stuff inside of me

too much, so...

Yeah, I didn't really like
the whole testing thing,

going in my nose or whatever,

but that was the only action
that I was getting at that time,

so I kind of enjoyed it
after a while.

[snorts and laughs]

Go, bitch!

Being on the set and not having
to wear a mask while filming,

it made you feel special,
because everybody around you

is looking like a science
project except yourself.

The camera crew had to be

six to 10 feet
apart from the cast,

and they had Plexiglas
in between them.

Production could not get
close to you

unless they were assigned
to be with you in the bubble.

To try to get close to someone

and have them, like,
run away from you,

I mean, I smell nice, okay?

I am fresh.

There are crew members

who I never actually saw
what they looked like.

It's hysterical to feel like
you get to know someone so well,

and have no idea
what they actually look like.

There's a lot of emotion
that you lose

when half of somebody's face
is covered.

If they're talking to you,

you can't tell if, like,
they're being really stern

or if they're being silly,
or... you can't tell.

It was sometimes difficult

to make out what people
were saying, because...

[muffled] you know,
masks, they can muffle.




One of our story producers,
she had a megaphone,

so there was no mistaking
what she said.

[laughs]

Queens walking.

Well, that's not what you said
in the interview, Elliott.

Uh-uh, Kandy, that is not
what you said on Untucked.

And you're just. like, oh. Gag.

This little f*cking megaphone
is everything.

I want one.

Now, I've processed
your loan application,

and it looks like...

There were, like, dividers
between each of the judges.

Oh, that's hot.

Not my favorite
aesthetic choice,

but it was definitely
really important

that they're quarantined
and separate.

I was like, this is
a COVID season. Perfect.

RuPaul: For Season 13,
we had to rethink everything.

Planning every challenge
became its own challenge.

Thinking about
going into Drag Race

and knowing how all
the challenges function,

but knowing that
we had the pandemic,

it made me question
so many things.

Like, how is the makeover
challenge gonna work?

How about Pit Crew?

What about, like,
stage productions

where we have backup dancers,
and they're all over us

and touching us and lifting us
and doing all these things?

Pit Crew is a part
of Drag Raceculture.

The Pit Crew is lovely.

Bring back my Pit Crew.

For the RuPaulmark challenge,
I was April Fool,

and she, at the end,
finds her prince.

But I had to act
like he was there,

but it was full
just greenscreened,

and he was not actually there.

I had a scene with
this lovely prince man,

and he wasn't even there.

But then I found
it's Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman.

He is so cute,

child, I'm living my life
when I'm on set.

I met him
and he wasn't even there.

How does that happen? COVID.

In normal Drag Racefashion,

when there's not a pandemic,
you get a lot of guest judges.

This time, they had
to have people, I think,

that were close to the show,

people that have been,
like, more quarantined.

We had Loni Love,
we had Ts Madison,

Nicole Byer, Jamal Sims.

It felt like a good old
family reunion.

And they get to see you
from, you know,

the start to the finish,

instead of just popping in,

trying to judge me
on my one look.

Now at least they could,
like, see me in a couple,

and decide they love me
even more.

So obviously,
because of what's going on,

we couldn't be having people

come into the werkroom
all willy-nilly.

So one of the people
that did come up

on the lovely little screen
where Miss Paul usually is

was Anne Hathaway.

Hi, queens!

[cheering]

Oh, my God!

So to be able to just,
like, look at her,

just chatting with us in her
living room, it was really cool.

Hi, Anne. I'm Olivia.

I met Anne Hathaway.

You can't tell me any different.

She was there in the room.

Hi, Olivia.

She said my name.

I met Anne Hathaway.

We get to film
with Ross Mathews.

And we're sitting there,
and Ross just turns to me

and is just, like, you know,
aren't we just so lucky

to be here and to be doing this?

And I was just, like,
it's kind of amazing.

Because, like, I'd be locked
in my apartment right now,

staring at my ceilings.

And here I am
filming a huge competition.

Oh, Lord.

Girl.

I loved getting out of drag
at the end of the day.

It was just,
like, a little party.

It was maybe the most fun
I'd had in so long.

We'd be trying on
each other's wigs.

Hi!

Having the kind of moments
with the queens

just reminded me how fun
it was being backstage,

getting to, like,
kiki and just have fun.

- We're breastplate sisters.
- Okay.

I was, like... [laughs]

And it was hard for them

to shove me back into
isolation after that point.

I was, like,
we were having so much fun,

leave me in the van.

Once you go back to your hotel,
you go back into your rooms.

But, you know, you can't go
into the other girls' room

and kaka with your sister.

So while we're filming,
I have no access to Internet.

There's no phone in the room.

I have hotel television,

and it's majority,
like, sports and news.

So I'm just seeing every
single day COVID cases rising,

and I have not talked
to any friends or family.

And what if...

what if one of my friends
or family members

has passed away from COVID?

I don't know.

I was very concerned with
all the happenings back home.

Like, my mother
is an amazing nurse.

My mom being
on the front of the lines,

I was concerned for her.

We all have someone out there
that we really wanna keep safe

and wanna make sure
that they're okay.

For leaving in this
opportunity, it's, like...

it's tough.

It's tough to kind of
push them out,

to really focus on the work.

I was going through a lot,

and just, like, a lot of things
going on in my head.

You have to be very focused,

and you have to not let
all the negativity

and all the things
creep into your head.

Like, even I was very conscious

of, like, don't watch
any of the news.

I just really wanted to stay
focused on the competition.

I was just, like,
I'm just gonna take this time

to be, like, hey, you're here
on RuPaul's Drag Race,

and have fun and calm down.

[laughs]

RuPaul: In a year like 2020,

it was more important than ever

forDrag Race to create a space

where my girls could focus
on staying safe

and snatching a crown.

Yes, there are all these worries

about what's happening
back at home and in the world.

But you're also
at RuPaul's Drag Race,

filming the TV show that's
about to change your life.

RuPaul: Truth be told,

being able to sh**t
RuPaul's Drag Race this season

was a gift to all of us,
each in our own way.

Walkthrough this year
was a bit different.

Because of COVID, I wasn't sure
how it was gonna happen,

or if RuPaul was even gonna be
able to, like, get close to us.

She was also in her own bubble
quarantining.

Bitch, if I was going crazy
in my own hotel room,

I can imagine RuPaul
was going crazy, too.

So I'm sure Miss Thing
wanted to go to the werkroom

and kiki with us and,
you know, talk to someone.

If you were closer to me,
I'd slap you.

[all laugh]

The walkthroughs with Ru,

I mean, you kind of
never know what to expect.

Did your mother disco?

What's that tattoo?

Have you had sweet,
passionate love?

Is that a real dimple?

Have they changed the carpet
at the Gay 90's?

- Yes.
- They have. Okay, good, good.

It was so crazy, how long
we were all talking with her.

Both of us were so excited
to talk to someone else.

Burt Reynolds in Hooper,

the tight pants,

you could tell
what religion they are.

- [laughs]
- Let me just say that.

They were really intimate times

when you were able
to connect with Ru.

You're so limited
to human interaction,

that, like, this felt
like even more special.

I work in corporate fashion.

They actually, like,
don't know I'm here at all.

- Shh!
- Right.

You can just tell
she really wanted

to make your time with her
personalized to you.

I think the way you talk
is genius.

I walked outta there thinking
RuPaul's my homegirl.

I was like, girl, me and RuPaul
gonna go get lunch after this.

I f*cking love it.

[laughs]

Oh!

I just squirted
hand sanitizer on my face.

For confessionals, we were
sitting in a chair like this,

and there was an iPad
in front of us

with a storyline producer,
and that's how we would talk.

It was like a Zoom call.

I mean, it's hard when
it's, like, a screen moment

as opposed to a full human
in front of you.

Uh...

The interviews?
Like, when you're out of drag,

that's, like, sometimes
the most emotional, raw moments.

And, like,
I'm sitting here, like,

"Can I have a tissue,"
talking to a computer.

I think she's...
I think I'm muted.

Looks like it.

Dealing with,
you know, the wifi,

and, you know,
technology was a B-I-T-C-H.

It would freeze sometimes.

[static]
I would be in my conversation,

because, you know,
I get really animated

and really dramatic... [static]

So sometimes I would
really be into it,

and she didn't catch any of it.

But we got through it.
We pushed through it.

RuPaul: For my queens,

the show isn't just a race,
it's a marathon,

and this season more than ever,

my girls worked
their padded asses off.

Thank you, ladies.
You may leave the stage.

Every week after the main stage
critiques and everything,

we walk in between stages

with our masks and shields
in full drag.

And all of production
would be standing on the side.

It was literally a parade.

They would be clapping for us

and con-drag-ulating us,
and it was so cute.

Especially if you won that week,

because you'd be,
like, in the front.

You'd be like,
"Oh, my God, thank you."

Every time
we'd get off a challenge,

it's, like, they would applaud.

It was just kind of like
that we know you're tired.

We know this has been hard.

But, like, you're gonna make it.

To me, the people
working on the show

were just as important
as us doing it.

I mean, they're risking
their lives to be here, too.

It was just, like,
they're my angels

and they looked out for me
and they took care of me.

I felt really, really safe

because everyone was
really strict and aggressive

on the bubble
and COVID protocols.

I was, like, is this low-key
kind of the perfect place

you could possibly be
for a pandemic?

A lot was on the line,

because the thought
of being sent home,

I'm like, I don't wanna go back
to just watching movies

and pigging out
and eating a bunch of food.

I didn't wanna
sign back up for that.

I wanna do this.

I wanna be here.
I wanna, like, express myself.

I wanna do my art on this stage.

At some point you have to go
back into the real world,

which is terrifying,

because you know
you are 100% safe here.

That's the thing.

And was I 100% safe
before I came to the show?

I wasn't.

RuPaul: Every time
we make a season

ofRuPaul's Drag Race,

it's a special event
for the cast and the crew.

And this year,

we appreciated it
like never before.

Drag Raceis kind of
a little bit of an escape

during this crazy time.

I think it's really
needed right now.

We can still thrive.

We just have to be safe,

and we can still make
really dope art

and get the job done.

We bring happiness
to a bad situation.

Who else would be brave enough
to do that

then men playing in heels,
playing in wigs?

At the end of the day,
I just wanted some sisters.

I wanted a sisterhood,
and I'm glad I got it.

To be on Season 13,

one of the first TV shows to
film during a global pandemic,

baby, iconic.

This is something really special

that no one
has ever experienced.

I have a bond with these girls

that no one
has ever experienced,

I played my part,

and I created
this beautiful story

with these beautiful girls,

and I would never
take it away for anything.

Going back to New York

and coming home to my boyfriend
was so, so nice.

I cannot tell you
how pregnant I am.

It is wild.

Eddie and I have matured
as a couple very quickly

because of this year,
in leaps and bounds further

than we would have
if we weren't in a pandemic

and if I didn't get cast
on Drag Race.

Oh, my God, like,

he just did, like,
the Drag Raceof healthcare.

Werk.

You've been away
in this fairytale world

of filming a TV show,

and now you're coming back
into the reality of life.

But the reality of life

is that there is still
a pandemic happening.

Step back into the world
where you're not in a bubble,

you don't know
what people have been doing,

and that was kind of weird.

When I get home, I'm home
for a couple of months.

I took the COVID test.
It comes back positive.

So I'm instantly scared,
because I'm, like,

oh, it's gonna sneak up on me
and k*ll me.

I don't know
what's about to happen.

Nothing changes.
I didn't have a cold,

I didn't have anything
that was related with it

other than testing positive.

So it does go to show you
how unpredictable COVID is.

It is the invisible monster,

and you have to treat it
as such.

I'm hopeful that we're moving
in the right direction

as a country,

and that vaccines are gonna
be able to be distributed

to a point
where numbers are low enough

that we can see the fans,

and that we can interact
with our communities again,

and just feel joyous
and feel celebratory.

I'm definitely very hopeful
for a world that is COVID-free,

but I'm also hoping that
we remember all of the lessons

that we learned
during this time.

You know, the power
of technology,

the importance of safety
and taking care of one another.

But also, I'm just hoping

that my vaccine is administered
by a Pit Crew member,

and I choose the a**l option.

[laughs]

It was exciting to be pioneers
of filming in COVID,

but there's all these things

that made it frustrating
and difficult at times.

But we've come out stronger
on the other side of it.

I can do anything now. [laughs]

You know, I will admit
in previous years,

I was very oblivious
to politics.

But, like, now that
I'm given this platform,

it is really important

for me to speak up
against those injustices.

Me kind of living my truth
about drag,

I need to do the same
about these issues.

We're on a show
where millions of people watch,

and we are able
to change people's minds,

and we are able
to inform people,

so that's what we should do.

And I think now more than ever,
that's what drag is.

The resilience of a drag queen,
it's so inspiring.

You can throw anything
at a queen,

and you won't see her shake.

She will stand strong
in her heels.

Queens attempting to walk!

I've survived Corona.
I've survived Trump.

I've survived cancer.

I'm not gonna tell you
what else I survived.

Just trust me,
I've survived some things.

[imitating Cher] Whoa!

Even in one of the hardest times
that we face right now,

we're gonna put on a brave face

and we're gonna go
to that front line

and we're gonna give it to you.

And we're gonna do it what?
Sickening.

Corona can't keep
a good queen down.

RuPaul: During this pandemic,

everyone has dealt with
their own set of challenges,

and in the face
of so much devastating loss,

it's hard to see the meaning
behind it all.

That's why now more than ever,

it's important to be kind
to yourself and to others.

Because with love
and understanding,

we will get through this
together.

Do you need help?

[laughs]

The world is in chaos.

You know, try your absolute
best to, like, share and enjoy.

You deserve it.

Treat yourself
to an amazing life.

Go make a hat.

Go, like...
Go give cats massages.

Whatever, like,
gives you that, like...

That feeling, go do it.

This COVID situation
coming out of nowhere

and taking so many lives away
from people who had dreams

I'm sure that
they wanted to accomplish,

only shows you that, girl,
you gotta live, sis.

Live, girl. [laughs]

♪ I'm a winner

♪ I'm a winner, baby

♪ I'm a winner

♪ I'm a winner, baby

♪ I'm a winner

♪ I'm a winner, baby

♪ I'm a winner

♪ I'm a winner, baby

♪ Losers, weepers

♪ I'm a winner, baby

♪ Finders, keepers

♪ I'm a winner, baby

♪ Losers, weepers

♪ I'm a winner, baby