Jiggly Caliente, the beloved RuPaul’s Drag Race star has died at age 44 after a leg amputation. Here’s more on her legacy in drag, activism, and Filipino representation…
By Richard Holman
This is an article I never saw myself writing. Today, we are devastated to share that Jiggly Caliente, beloved RuPaul’s Drag Race star and true drag royalty, has died at the age of 44. Jiggly, whose real name was Bianca Castro-Arabejo, passed away from her health battle on April 27, 2025, just days after undergoing a right leg amputation following a severe infection.
“Bianca passed away peacefully on April 27, 2025, at 4:42 am, surrounded by her loving family and close friends,” an Instagram post from her family read. “A luminous presence in the worlds of entertainment and advocacy, Jiggly Caliente was celebrated for her infectious energy, fierce wit, and unwavering authenticity.”
Her family continued … “She touched countless lives through her artistry, activism, and the genuine connection she fostered with fans around the world. Her legacy is one of love, courage, and light.”
If you’ve been keeping up with the news, you may have seen our recent coverage about Jiggly’s surgery — and like everyone, we were rooting for her. Hoping she would recover, return stronger, and continue sharing her incredible light with the world. Instead, today we find ourselves mourning an absolute legend, a true original, and one of the most loved figures to ever come from Drag Race.
Jiggly Caliente’s early days on RuPaul’s Drag Race
For so many fans — including myself — Jiggly Caliente wasn’t just another queen on the lineup. She was the moment. Bursting onto RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 4 in 2012, Jiggly was pure energy, heart, and chaos in the best possible way. She didn’t come from money, she didn’t have polished designer costumes, but what she had couldn’t be bought: raw passion, magnetic presence, and an authenticity that immediately made you fall in love with her. She was absolutely hilarious, and was my first favourite. Season 4 was the first full season of Drag Race I watched after discovering the show. I was introduced to it through my work in club promotion, where I did events with queens like Pandora Boxx and Sahara Davenport, and knew very little about drag at the time. Jiggly was one of the reasons that drew me in.
I’ll never forget her first lip sync for her life against Alisa Summers to Britney Spears’ “Toxic.” It was messy. It was wild. Her outfit was literally falling apart mid-performance. And yet — it was drag magic, it was lip syncing stunting, without meaning to be. It wasn’t about looking perfect. It was about feeling the song, about fighting to stay, about pouring every ounce of yourself into that moment. Jiggly fought harder than anyone and earned her spot to stay — creating one of the most iconic early lip syncs in Drag Race herstory. It’s moments like that, the ones that aren’t pristine but are so full of heart, that remind us what drag is truly about.
Jiggly returned to Drag Race in the spring of 2021 when she appeared on season 6 of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars. The second episode of the competition saw the trans trailblazer fall victim to a sewing challenge that tasked the queens with making looks inspired by the colour blue. She ultimately placed 12th overall.
“I wish I would’ve lasted longer, but [they] said let’s make these bitches sew! That’s the one thing I can’t do!” Jiggly said after her elimination in 2021
In 2022, the fan favourite made headlines when she joined Drag Race Philippines as an official judge and remained in the role for 3 exciting seasons.
From Drag Race to Pose
Jiggly Caliente wasn’t just a Drag Race contestant. She was an activist, a trailblazer, and a proud trans woman who helped open doors for so many others. After coming out publicly in 2016, Jiggly continued to use her platform to push for better representation and visibility for trans people in media. She appeared on the groundbreaking series Pose, shining even brighter beyond the Drag Race universe, and eventually made history by becoming a judge on Drag Race Philippines, bringing her voice and experience to a whole new generation.
Watching her succeed, watching her find her voice and her power beyond the main stage, was honestly one of the most rewarding journeys for fans like me who loved her since Day One. It felt like we were all rooting for our friend, our sister, someone who deserved the world — and was finally getting a piece of it.
Saying goodbye to Jiggly Caliente
Jiggly’s passing feels impossibly unfair. She gave so much to her fans, to the LGBTQ+ community, to the world — and she still had so much more to give. Her laughter, her spirit, her no-filter honesty, and her gigantic heart made her unforgettable. You couldn’t help but love Jiggly. You couldn’t help but want to see her win.
And now, we have to say goodbye far too soon. It’s hard to put into words just how much Jiggly Caliente meant to the community — to Drag Race fans in Canada, the U.S., and all over the world. She wasn’t the most polished queen. She didn’t always have the best runways. But she had the biggest heart. And in the end, that’s what mattered the most.
It’s hard not to think about how Jiggly’s passing hits, especially with the loss of The Vivienne still fresh in the Drag Race community. Both queens shared that undeniable charisma, love for their art, and real connection with their fans. The void they leave behind is huge — Drag Race fans everywhere are feeling it, and it’s hard to put into words just how much they both meant to all of us.
Thank you, Jiggly… May I call you Jiggly?
Thank you for every moment you gave us. Thank you for every time you made us laugh until we cried. Thank you for showing us that fighting with your whole heart matters more than anything. Thank you for your joy, your flaws, your fight, your light. You are, and always will be, Drag Race royalty.
We will miss you forever. Rest in power, Jiggly Caliente. You were one of the realest ones.
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