Pearl was a contestant on the seventh season of RuPaul’s Drag Race. She was best known for coining the phrase “flazéda” and getting into a tense stare down with Ru himself. She overcame a perceived lack of enthusiasm, surviving what looked like she was sleepwalking through the first few episodes to come in as a runner up for the title, losing it to Atlanta’s own Violet Chachki (who was my waitress the last time I went to Lips. True story).
On a recent episode of the hilarious YouTube series Hey Qween, the 27-year-old entertainer, born Matthew James Lent (and one handsome man), spilled some tea about the show and her once-strained relationship with her co-runner up from that season, Ginger Minj. During the interview, Pearl shared for the first time a story that she felt explained her attitude on the show. The first time she met Ru during a shoot for a pre-season promo, Ru said something that broke her spirit. Pearl recalled:
“We were filming a segment, just kind of chatting, banter whatever together, and then the camera went down for a moment and I turned to RuPaul and I said ‘Oh my god. I just want to thank you so much. It is such an honor to be here, such a pleasure to meet you. You have no idea, like what this…’, just giving her that whole everything I wanted to say to her. And she turned to me, and she said, ‘nothing you say matters unless that camera is rolling. And that broke my spirit. And that is the reason why I had one foot in, one foot out the entire time on that show. And maybe that’s me being petty, and maybe that’s me thinking that it should have been something that I never should’ve expected it to be. But in that moment, it was so heartbreaking because I idolized her, worshipped her, and I just felt that it was so disrespectful. I had never even been to LA before: it was so Hollywood, rotted, gross, like how could you say that to somebody that is just obsessed with you?”
[From Hey Qween/You Tube]
Pearl, who obviously got past the slight, also said in the interview that Ru has “got a job to do, and that is nothing to take personally.” Pearl isn’t the only one to have some not so great memories of working on Drag Race, proving that it truly isn’t RuPaul’s Best Friends Race.
Season 4’s Willam has been quite outspoken about the issues he encountered on the show. He recently shared his behind the scenes experience of working on the show with Drag Race super fan Leslie Jones (who had the best reaction when Ru herself asked her to be a judge on a future season).
Mama Ru came through and made @Lesdoggg's @RuPaulsDragRace dream come true! 👑 We surprised Leslie with a surprise message from @RuPaul and her reaction was EVERYTHING pic.twitter.com/RBZmCnQ8xg
— Access (@accessonline) August 13, 2018
The SNL star has been watching the entire series and sharing her commentary on Twitter. When she was gobsmacked after witnessing Willam’s disqualification, she took to social media to ask “Whaaaaaaat happen?!” and the queen obliged, sharing detailed iPhone notes of what he encountered on the set.
This is hilarious. I worship @Lesdoggg and I’ll tell u it all if u want! https://t.co/myua3IlwLx
— Willam (@willam) June 4, 2018
Ok but only cuz you asked @Lesdoggg pic.twitter.com/GmebzeEqwM
— Willam (@willam) June 5, 2018
Willam has been sharing even more behind the scenes dish about Drag Race on his new podcast with fellow queen-testant (and All-Stars 2 champion) Alaska. Their Race Chasers podcast is great.If you’re a fan, give it a listen. William also may have shared a major spoiler from the upcoming All-Stars season 4 (don’t click on the link if you don’t want to know).
I get that RuPaul is an entertainer and entrepreneur, and he really seems like a person who could easily put his product over personal relationships. I mean, he’s got his music, multiple television series, a podcast and even a a talk show pilot going at the same time. I believe Pearl was hurt by his first encounter with Ru, but still managed to recognize how much he helped his career. Of course, I’m partial to Ru, because I had the chance to interview him (back in the Drag U days) and he couldn’t have been nicer or more engaging. Anyway, reality breeds drama, and RuPaul’s Drag Race is no exception. Am I wrong to say “Keep it coming?”
Photos:Getty and WENN
Never met a drag queen who wasn’t also a drama queen.
Seems to be a solidly consistent characteristic. I’ll add callous to that.
RuPaul’s statement was accurate. I see no problem with it. After all, he was probably just trying to keep Pearl from having to repeat himself on camera again later. It’s a television show. Of course they want all the emotional gushing moments on camera. How did Pearl not know this?
As an aside, I hope he is the correct pronoun for a drag queen. The article kept going back-and-forth between she and he, and I’m a little confused.
Queens are pretty loose with pronouns. Being a drag queen is not a gender identity so in my understanding you won’t be hurting anyone by misgendering them. I like how fluid it is actually.
Don’t know about others, but RuPaul identifies as a gay man. He has developed a wonderful female character so convincing that I had no idea she was actually a man when I first saw her in a skit…
So yes, it’s confusing. But I don’t think RuPaul minds the shifting pronouns, it’s a tribute to his genius. I tend to say “she” when talking about the female character (come on, she may as well be a birthright woman) and “he” when referring to the artist himself when he’s not performing.
For the others, you just have to ask them, I guess. But I would assume the pronoun depends on whether or not they are in character.
Can confirm. I have a friend who produced a few Real Housewives shows and he told me that on those franchises, the women do not speak unless the cameras are rolling when they’re filming. Like literally, they are all in the same place, just silent. It’s a strategy to get all the “real” stuff on TV and proudcers tell them to do it. Maybe that’s what Ru meant he just didn’t say it in the kindest way?
She just might have misunderstood what he was saying and how and why. Some people really don’t pick up nuances of tone and body language very well. If we heard or even better saw RuPaul say it, we may come to a very different conclusion about it from the tone of voice and body language. But some people just don’t tune in to all that and leap to their own conclusions. In this case, she very likely had fantasized a very different scenario but wasn’t thinking about the context.
I actually read it as Ru thought Pearl was trying to suck up to her off camera to get a leg up in the race.
I agree. It’s not an unusual remark for those kind of reality/competition shows. I think Pearl’s comment says far more about her than it does about Ru.
Honestly Ru has always been my least favourite part of Drag Race.
Thank you! I used to love Ru coming into the werk room and actually giving good advice. They got back to that a little bit on season 10, but the last 2 All-Stars seasons have been such rigged clusterf*cks that I almost don’t even care about #4.
Ru Paul once told a story about seeing someone go down with a capsized boat, and after picking up the phone to call for help, deciding that actually, the best thing to do was just watch and pray for the person.
A la Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin.
What? Seriously?
LOL, I’m fairly sure that story was a running joke from what I recall. He was making fun of that “thoughts and prayers” mindset, wasn’t he?
It would crush me too. But I would also quickly realize its a business deal and not meant personally, despite Pearl taking the opportunity to talk personally. Some things you do have to keep private even when you cant help but have very personal feelings and thoughts during your work day. It happens all the time… we’re humans.
Wow. That Matthew James Lent is an attractive fella. (A baby, but beautiful).
Pearl is a very sensitive, creative soul. Ru is a very driven, no-nonsense creative soul. I can see how they clashed and how Ru easily hurt Pearl by being thoughtless and a bit too “eyes on the prize” in this moment.
I am a SUPER FAN of drag race and RuPaul. But RuPaul is human and makes mistakes. I think, upon realizing that she took a moment that was meaningful to pearl and made it “all business”, Ru should probably apologize.
This is the most well-balanced comment. Thank you!
SMH. I’m over the whole bashing Ru to protect our poor favorite “cute boy” white contestants. They signed up for a reality show, and they wouldn’t even have a platform if not for Ru. It’s ironic how vapid and racist the Drag Race fandom has become, through no fault of Ru’s own.
This. Ru Paul forever.
It has always amazed how different Pearl looks in and out of drag. He’s absolutely beautiful both ways, of course.
It wouldn’t be RPDR if there wasn’t off season drama between former contestants.
Why was a drag queen surprised by RuPaul being an illusion in a drag competition? He signed a contract to work on a tv show and one of his bosses told him what to do. I am a super fan of drag race too. I’ve seen every episode and eat them up! BUT I would never want to meet any of them, I love the fantasy!!
Ru was my first celebrity interview as a reporter, and was an absolute delight. So kind and funny.
Anytime I see an interview with RuPaul I stop to read it. He’s incredibly smart and gives great quotes. I especially loves when he talks politics.
We all have a “business face”, but I think for some entertainers whose warmth and empathy is part of their public persona — there is a distinct divide. Many years ago, a friend of mine was on Oprah’s talk show when it was still local in Chicago. She said Oprah was all sweet and nurturing when the camera was running (the episode was on teenage mothers) — and all business the second the camera was off. My friend said something to the effect that she felt like she had whiplash because the change was so sudden.