The queen opened up to Entertainment Weekly about her health and how the Wicked trailer and All Stars 10 casting call helped get her on a new path…
With the final bracket in the Tournament of All Stars in full effect, Ginger Minj is hoping her appearance on All Stars 10will finally deliver a crown. The queen, returning for her fourth time, is coming to the competition with a different perspective.
In an exclusive interview with Entertainment Weekly (EW), Minj revealed how her return to the mainstage had some bumps on the way, which included a health battle and a near-death experience. She also opened about being diagnosed with autism and the mixed reaction she received from Drag Race fans about her return.
Minj’s near death experience: “I genuinely thought I was going to die:”
Minj faced several health problems in the lead-up to All Stars 10. The queen revealed she was at her heaviest, pre-diabetic, had out of control of blood pressure and more. “I had zero energy, and I got sick to the point that they pumped me full of different medications — including massive amounts of prednisone,” she opened up to EW.
She recalled being in a hospital bed thinking she was experiencing her last moments, until she saw a film trailer that gave her strength. “The Wicked trailer dropped. As a lifelong Oz and musical theater fan, it was the first time I forgot about feeling sick, and the first time I felt any kind of joy or hope,” she shared. “It gave me something to look forward to.”
She later got the call for All Stars 10 and saw it as a catalyst to get her life back together. “It gave me the kick in the ass I needed to get it under control,” she said. Now the queen is 160 pounds lighter, off those medications, no longer pre-diabetic and has gotten her blood pressure under control. “I have so much energy, love, and happiness that I’m ready to share with the world.”
Introducing her authentic self to Drag Race fans
After accepting the casting call for All Stars 10, the two-time runner-up learned she was autistic. “I went in for my psychiatric evaluation [for All Stars 10]. The way I communicated, the therapist said, ‘Are you autistic? Are you on the spectrum?’ I had my suspicions, but I said I’d never been tested.” she shared.
With the therapist’s encouragement, Minj got tested and learned that she was autistic. “It put 40 years of my existence into perspective so quickly for me,” she said to EW, in her first time speaking publicly about her diagnosis.
With a confirmed diagnosis, the queen gained a better understanding of herself, providing clarity about her past and what she wants for her future. “That’s what held me back on my other seasons. Coming across insincere, because I was so concerned about how other people would perceive me or misunderstand the words I said,” she shared. “Now, understanding more of who I am, I felt this burden lifted off my shoulders…. No matter what happens, it’s so celebratory for me, because it’s the first time I’ve truly competed as myself.
Not everyone welcomed her back: “People asked why I’m there.”
Like Jujubee, who has competed on three different American seasons and one international season, fans have been divided on Minj’s return since the cast was announced. “People asked why I’m there,” she shared about the reaction, which the queen says she has gotten for every season she’s competed on. However, those excited about her return outweigh those naysayers. “I’m there for $200,000 and a crown, but I’m also there for the people who appreciate me.”
With the first week of bracket three over, Minj is leading the pack winning her first Maxi-Challenge and the lip sync. The question now is whether she will make it to the semi-finals or end up in the bottom like in All Stars 2. With those sneaky MVQ points, alliances and a strong set of queens in this bracket, it’s anybody’s game.
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