In the glitter-laden world of RuPaul’s Drag Race, where charisma, talent, and showwoman-ship reign supreme, sometimes drag queens sashay away on their own terms. Brace yourselves as we spill the tea on the famous drag queens who have bid farewell to the art form since gracing the iconic Drag Race stage. In fact, some of these queens pulled off disappearing acts that Houdini himself would tip his hat to. So grab your wig, heels, and sequins darling, as we reminisce about the queens who have made fashionable exits from the drag world. Here are 11 RuPaul’s Drag Race stars who have quit drag and retired from the runway (for now…).
Rebecca Glasscock (Season 1)
Rebecca Glasscock, aka Javier José Rivera Nieves, came in third on the very first season of Drag Race. Despite her success on the show, she’s retired from drag, returning briefly on the Season 10 live finale. For those wishing for a Rebecca Glasscock comeback, don’t hold your breath. Javier has stated that even though many people have asked, he would never return to All Stars.
James Ross AKA King Tyra FKA Tyra Sanchez (Season 2)
This Season 2 Drag Race winner has hung up his drag persona, Tyra Sanchez, for good. Ross also refuses to be associated with the show. However, he did announce a comeback under the name King Tyra and set up an OnlyFans account for this new endeavor. Ross was arrested in July 2023 after publicly protesting his initial arrest in May 2023 for allegedly resisting arrest after a car accident.
Carmen Carrera (Season 3)
Since publicly coming out as a trans woman, Carmen has retired from drag and is thriving while living her authentic life. She’s a fitness influencer, model and entertainer and judging from her Instagram, she looks like she’s having the time of her life.
Alisa Summers (Season 4)
Alisa Summers was on Drag Race Season 4, but mysteriously retired from drag entirely. She’s pretty much out of the public eye, but it appears that out of drag, Alisa is Alex Hernandez, who lives in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Kenya Olivera FKA Kenya Michaels (Season 4)
Like Carmen Carrera, since appearing on Drag Race Kenya Olivera has come out as a trans woman and her former drag persona, Kenya Michaels, has been retired. Her Instagram bio states that she’s a fashion stylist and wig designer.
Vivienne Pinay (Season 5)
This former drag queen has apparently gone dark on social media and hasn’t posted on her Instagram since 2016. According to the RuPaul’s Drag Race wiki, she owns a wig business called FairyTale Wigs.
Honey Mahogany (Season 5)
Honey Mahogany went from the drag stage to the political stage, as the first trans person to serve on the San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee (DCCC). In 2021, she was elected chair of the DCCC. She continues her political activism and was pivotal in setting up The Transgender District in San Francisco, where she served as its first director.
Ivy Winters (Season 5)
Season 5’s Miss Congeniality has sworn off drag for a quiet life in the countryside. Ivy posts a ton of garden content on Instagram, showing off chickens, broom corn, and heirloom tomatoes. What a life!
Reynolds Engelhart FKA Magnolia Crawford (Season 6)
The drag queen formerly known as Magnolia Crawford has retired, and now goes by Reynolds Engelhart who is still active on social media. Reynolds’ Instagram bio reads, “Comedian, creator of Magnolia Crawford, and incredibly famous.”
Robbie Turner (Season 8)
This update is a little bit odd. In 2018, Robbie Turner tweeted that she had survived a car accident, but the Uber driver did not. She added that she somehow made it home “with barely a scratch,” and could hardly recollect the crash. A few days later, however, it was reported that the crash never happened, and Uber itself even joined the conversation saying that none of the company’s drivers had died on a recent trip like the one Turner described. Turner then issued a public apology on Instagram, and has since retired from drag and the public eye altogether.
Princess Poppy (Season 15)
The Season 15 alum has made an indefinite departure from drag but continues to be active on social media, sharing cheeky posts on Instagram. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly in 2023, Poppy said she’d be stepping back from drag. She also added: “I want to fall off the face of the planet. I don’t want to be famous. I want to fade into obscurity. That’s not a bad thing. I think people put so much emphasis on success and fame, and it’s okay to not want to be famous. It’s totally valid to not want to be known by a bunch of people. That’s just not what I want. I don’t want that for my life.” Go off!
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