Dear Viv will look at the legacy of the inaugural RuPaul’s Drag Race UK winner who passed in January…
Premiering on WOW Presents Plus on August 28, is a documentary chronicling the career of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK winner The Vivienne. Dear Viv will honour the late queen who died in January after suffering from cardiac arrest due to ketamine use.
The queen was the inaugural winner of the first international franchise hosted by RuPaul, which aired in 2019. The Vivienne was also the first international competitor to appear on the American franchise. They competed with fellow winners in All Stars 7 where they won two challenges.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, World of Wonder co-founder Fenton Bailey said they had to document The Vivienne’s legacy after a touching display of support during DragCon UK. “We called it Dear Viv, and the outpouring, what people wrote on the wall and in the book [in the DragCon booth], was just so moving and powerful,” Bailey said. “It was like, we’ve got to document this.”
What is Dear Viv about?
The film celebrates The Vivienne’s life and career. Their family and friends will make appearances along with former Drag Race competitors. Viewers can expect interviews from RuPaul’s Drag Race UK queens such as Cheryl Hole, Baga Chipz, Blu Hydrangea, Danny Beard, Tia Kofi and more. Their All Stars 7 sisters Monet X Change, Raja and Trinity the Tuck will also appear.
“It just seem[ed like] who better than to talk about The Viv than other queens from Drag Race? It’s a real community, a very strong community,” said Bailey about the line-up of queens featured.
The documentary will utilize family photos, home videos and never-before-seen Drag Race footage. It will also use archival video from various World of Wonder projects that The Vivienne’s was part of.
Bailey’s hope is that The Vivienne will feel the love the world had for them. “Personally, I hope that wherever she is, The Viv gets to see this film [in] some way, shape or form. And I hope that she would love it as much as we loved her, as much as we do love her.”
How did The Vivienne pass?
On January 5, a public relations representative for the queen posted on Instagram about the 32 year olds passing. “It is with immense sadness that we let you know our beloved James Lee Williams – The Vivienne, has passed this weekend,” the post read in part.
It was later revealed the cause of death was due to the effects of ketamine. The queen publicly spoke about their past addiction on both seasons of Drag Race. In an interview with the BBC, The Vivienne’s sister, Chanel Williams, said that the queen was sober for some time.
The family released the cause of death to help raise awareness of the dangers of ongoing ketamine use. “The Vivienne left a legacy as a trailblazing icon and this is, I feel, is James’ legacy to help other people,” said Williams about the decision to share the cause.
The family has become heavily involved in tackling stigma around addiction working with Adferiad. They’ve also lobbied to have ketamine reclassified from a Class B to Class A drug, a similar classification given to heroin and cocaine in the United Kingdom. “If I can help one family to not feel what we are feeling, then it’s all worth it,” said Williams.
Dear Viv premieres on WOW Presents Plus on August 28, 2025
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