RuPaul star The Vivienne’s pal begs fans to ‘check in on your mates’ after tragic death
RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars legend The Vivienne sadly died over the weekend and now their friend Dean McCullough has issued a heartbreaking plea to fans
The Vivienne’s friend has spoken out (
Image: Getty Images for VH1/Paramount +)
The Vivienne has sadly died at the age of 32, with their friend now issuing a desperate plea to fans.
The TV icon, who shot to fame on RuPaul’s Drag Race, was confirmed dead on Sunday evening in a statement shared by their spokesperson. As tributes continue to flood in, a friend has taken to social media urging people to regularly check in on their pals.
Dean McCullough expressed his grief on Instagram. Alongside photos of the two together, the Radio DJ penned, “I’m lost for words. Check in on your mates. Tell your people you love them. The sky is a lot more sparkly tonight with our Viv up there. I’ll miss you girl. Love you.”
Despite disabling comments on his heartfelt post, it received more than 11,000 likes. On Sunday, Simon Jones, a friend and publicist of The Vivienne, confirmed the sad news of their death on social media.
Dean McCullough has paid tribute (
Image:
Instagram)
The Vivienne’s death was announced over the weekend (
Image:
Getty Images for Empire State Realty Trust)
In a statement, Simon said, “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. We please ask that James’s family are given the time and privacy they now need to process and grieve.”
Stars paid tribute to the star following the news. Pussycat Dolls’ Ashley Roberts was visibly shaken, posting, “Omg! I can’t believe this. This is heartbreaking news,” with a broken heart emoji.
Michelle Visage commented, “I don’t have the words. Utterly heartbroken.” She then shared another emotional tribute on Instagram alongside pictures with The Vivienne.
Michelle wrote, “Heartbreaking. I don’t know how to say how I feel. My darling @thevivienne_ we go back to when I started coming over here to the UK. You were always there, always laughing, always giving, always on point.”
The Drag Race judge added, “Your laughter, your wit, your talent, your drag. I loved all of it but I loved your friendship most of all. You were a beacon to so many. Seeing you make your West End debut was amazing for me to witness your dream come true right in front of my eyes, I’m the lucky one to have known you and to have laughed together with you so many times. I love you my darling. You will be so missed my lovely. May your light shine fiercely, forever. RIP MY ANGEL fly high.”