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On January 5, 2025, it was announced that the famous British drag queen James Lee Williams, better known by the stage name The Vivienne, had passed away. The performer was 32 years old at the time, and tributes from family and friends have flooded social media as fans remember Williams' various stage performances.
As the winner of the first UK series of RuPaul's Drag Race, The Vivienne is one of the most popular British drag queens, and their death has naturally garnered widespread attention. The Vivienne's ex-husband, David Ludford, posted a touching tribute to his partner after the news about Williams' death broke online.
In a post on Facebook, Ludford expressed his grief at the news and stated that his heart had sunk after he got the call. He also claimed that The Vivienne had changed his life.
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"My heart literally sank when I got the call!! Never in a million years did I think I’d ever be writing anything like this about James Lee Williams. This man changed my life so much from the day we first met in August 2017 in Gran Canaria!! We literally clicked straight away and we knew we was going to be together for along time!! He made me feel love and shown me what it was really like to love someone," he wrote.
Sharing a few photos of James, David Ludford also stated that he felt stupid to be this upset, considering he had been divorced from The Vivienne since 2023. He thanked the drag queen for their six-year-long marriage, writing:
"I feel like a tit feeling this upset and hurt because we have been fully divorced for just over a year now but we was together 6 year and we loved each other so much and you can’t take away. I’m so happy to say I not only met you but we was together, we was husbands and you was the biggest part of my left for such a long time! 6 years is such a long time to spend 24/7 with you will always always have a place in my heart . Going to miss you more than people will ever know sleep tight angel."
The Vivienne's cause of death will probably not be revealed, as per publicist Simon Jones
Based in Liverpool, The Vivienne was nominated as the UK Drag Ambassador to the US version of RuPaul's Drag Race in 2015. They would later win the title in 2019 when the series came to the UK. The drag queen has an extensive filmography, having starred in various TV shows and also performed in the musical The Wizard of Oz in the role of Wicked Witch of the West.
The performer's death was announced by the publicist Simon Jones, who shared the news in a post on Instagram. In the post, Simon wrote that The Viviene had passed away "this weekend" without mentioning the exact date.
"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," Simon Jones wrote.
The press release also noted how devastated the family was. However, the cause of death was not mentioned, with Simon Jones specifying in the post that no further information would be forthcoming.
"Their family is 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."
RuPaul's Drag Race judge Michelle Visage and several other drag queens have also shared their tributes after the news of The Vivienne's death broke on the internet.
