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In an exclusive interview with Collider on February 14, 2025, Hormona Lisa, a recently eliminated contestant from RuPaul's Drag Race season 17, discussed the rhinestones issue that unfolded between her and fellow queen Lexi Love. When asked about her experience of removing rhinestones from her gown, Hormona stated,
"I stayed up all night stoning that and hand-sewing the skirt on my gown, too. Yeah, so it was pretty heartbreaking."
The controversy emerged during episode 3, which aired on January 17, 2025, when Lexi pointed out that Hormona had used rhinestones that were not part of the approved materials for the design challenge. Hormona had to remove the embellishments from her garment, an incident that sparked ongoing debate among viewers and contestants.
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Hormona speaks out on the rhinestones dispute with Lexi Love on RuPaul's Drag Race
The events leading up to the incident
The queens were given a limited selection of materials to create their outfits for the challenge. According to Hormona, she initially intended to use additional appliques but decided to give them to another contestant, Lucky, at the suggestion of Lexi Love. To replace those embellishments, she repurposed rhinestones from her larger earrings. The RuPaul's Drag Race star recalled,
"Just because we have limited materials from the beginning, and once my dress was almost done, she saw that I have these appliques, and she's like, 'Why don't you give those to Lucky because she doesn't have a lot going on and your thing is good on its own?'"
She further explained that after making adjustments, Lexi questioned whether the rhinestones adhered to the challenge rules. As a result, Hormona had to remove the embellishments, a process she found frustrating. She shared,
"I had the little flower detail on the one shoulder, was the only thing that I had loose rhinestones on. And when she brought it up, I had planned on just taking that off because that was the main point of contention, and it had probably, like, close to a thousand stones on it."
Hormona's reaction to the rule enforcement
The requirement to remove the rhinestones caused visible frustration. Hormona described the process as difficult, particularly after spending a significant amount of time constructing the look. Reflecting on the moment, the RuPaul's Drag Race star stated,
"I honestly felt like it was my child, and I was ripping my child apart. And that seems problematic. I'm, like, ripping my baby apart because I love this gown."
The situation led to conversations about whether she was unfairly targeted. Some contestants pointed out that other queens also used unapproved materials but were not required to make similar adjustments. Lexi later addressed this on social media, stating that Suzie Toot had also broken the rules but had not been involved in the on-camera discussion.
Tensions in the Werk Room
Following the rhinestone controversy on RuPaul's Drag Race, tensions continued between Lexi and the other contestants. Lexi's decision to bring attention to the material guidelines led to mixed reactions, with some viewing it as an effort to ensure fairness, while others believed it was unnecessary.
The incident also contributed to further friction in the Werk Room when another challenge, later dubbed "Spray Paint Gate," resulted in Lexi's outfit being affected. Describing the atmosphere, the RuPaul's Drag Race star commented,
"It was pretty tense, honestly. I think that, of course, it was a misunderstanding. But also, if you're working with a tarp, don't lay it outside next to the larger tarp that people are putting stuff on to spray paint."
She acknowledged the emotional impact on Lexi but suggested that precautionary measures could have prevented the issue. She noted,
"I'm not saying that Lexi deserved it because she certainly did not, because she was very heartbroken. But you also have to take a little bit of responsibility for doing that."
Watch RuPaul's Drag Race Season 17 every Friday at 8 pm ET on MTV for new episodes and competition updates.
