The cause of death for BBC’s RuPaul’s Drag Race UK star, James Lee Williams — also known as The Vivienne — who died earlier this year at the age of 32, has been revealed.
Williams died from a cardiac arrest caused by the effects of taking ketamine, his family told the BBC.
The drag star’s sister, Chanel Williams, said her family “continue to be completely devastated” by his death, and plans to work with a substance abuse charity to raise awareness of the dangers of the drug.
Local police, meanwhile, said they did not find any suspicious circumstances surrounding Williams’ death.
Williams — who in 2019 won the first series of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, and in 2023 came in third place in the Dancing On Ice season — was found dead on January 5, in the bathroom of his home in the United Kingdom.
“I hope by us releasing this information we can raise awareness about the dangers of ongoing ketamine usage and what it can do to your body,” Simon Jones, Williams’ manager and close friend, said.
Jones noted that the drag star’s family believes it is important to share how he died, and that they now hope to get involved with the charity Adferiad in an effort to continue his legacy by working on initiatives that raise awareness about substance abuse and addiction.
During his life, Williams was “praised for raising awareness of substance abuse” while “competing on series one of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK,” where he was open about having sought help for his ketamine addiction, the BBC noted.
“Ketamine is an extremely dangerous drug that is becoming more and more prevalent in the UK,” Chanel Williams said, reportedly speaking on behalf of the drag star’s entire family.
“If we can help raise awareness of the dangers of this drug and help people who may be dealing with ketamine addiction then something positive will come from this complete tragedy,” she added.
While people can be legally prescribed Ketamine, illegal usage of the drug has been growing in popularity among young people in the UK, the BBC reported.
“We are seeing a worrying rise in the number of people using ketamine, often unaware of the serious risks it poses to their physical and mental health,” Adferiad spokesperson Donna Chavez said.
Chavez added that Williams’ family’s “courage in sharing James’ story will help raise vital awareness of the devastating impact substance use can have.”
“By opening conversations and challenging misconceptions, we can help prevent further tragedies and support those in need to find hope and recovery,” she said.
Alana Mastrangelo is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on Facebook and X at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.
Read the full article here
