Top 20 Dark Truths About RuPaul's Drag Race

#20: Tyras Continued Vitriol

Turns out there is such a thing as a sore winner. Despite being one of the first champions of the franchise, King Tyra formerly known as Tyra Sanchez has dedicated much of his post-show experience to psychologically tormenting those who still enjoy it. From making cruel jokes about fellow former contestants passing away to telling fans to take their own lives, he aims his sights at anyone that he feels crosses him. He has even spread false rumors about Morgan McMichaels dying and posted what many believed was a threat against DragCon. Though many try to ignore him, he keeps popping back up leading to several people demanding the crown and title be stripped from him.

#19: Queens Cant Appear on Another Show for a Year After the Season Airs

With the resurgence of competition-based series starring iconic former reality stars, you may have wondered why you dont see many recent queens participating. It may seem like they just arent interested, but judging by the season 8 contract, they arent allowed to appear in another televised show for a full year after their last filmed episode airs. In fact, it may be one of the few times that being an early-out is truly beneficial. Theres a chance the standards may have become more lenient in the past few years, but it may be why you have to wait a little while longer to see your favorite appear in House of Villains.

#18: Confessionals Are Filmed the Morning of That Weeks Episode

One of the most popular segments of many reality TV shows is the confessional a sacred place where contestants can tell the audience their thoughts on anything that happens during filming. Thanks to queens like Jan and Brooke Lynn Hytes, weve been given more insight into how Drag Race navigates. The former revealed that the interviews are filmed each morning before the episode itself is recorded, with some exceptions in the case of unexpected drama occurring. This method makes it easier for editors to choose what clips to include after the challenge has already been filmed. To keep things consistent, they even have everyone dress in the same outfit every day a far cry from the standards on the earlier seasons.

#17: Queens Cant Sue If They Contract a Disease On-Set

Its important to cover your bases legally, but some might find this strange. In the aforementioned contract, there are several release statements that the contestants sign off on. One stated that queens assume any and all risks of working in close quarters with others, whether its in a general sense or a more intimate matter. What this means is that should a participant come down with something whether its merely a cold or something much more serious the responsibility lies with them, and they cant sue the show itself. With that in mind, it suddenly makes even more sense why there were so many necessary precautions taken during the COVID-19 pandemic.

#16: The Intense Audition Process

If theres one thing Ru has made clear, it's that she expects the best, including at the audition? Some former contestants have been quite forthcoming about the stringent requirements when submitting a tape. According to Season 11 runner-up Brooke Lynn Hytes, potential participants need to present two lip sync performances, multiple options for Snatch Game, an interview out of drag, acting challenges, and even a look made from unconventional materials. The hardest part? Having to fit it all into a twenty minute span. Its strenuous, but it makes those who do make it seem all the more impressive. Some have even posted their own auditions over the years, showing the fans exactly what it takes to make it on.

#15: Ru Doesnt Interact With Queens

Harsh treatment or merely a reality of the genre? Well let you decide. Though RuPaul does have several moments where he appears to genuinely connect with a contestant, when the cameras are off, its a whole different story. Reportedly, the host keeps the queens at an arms length when they arent filming and hardly speaks to them at all. This isnt necessarily a bad thing. Most likely, at the end of a long day of shooting, he just wants to detach and relax. However, it does undeniably keep a wall up between him and those competing for the crown which may be exactly as intended.

#14: Queens Can Be Sued for $2M For Breaking Confidentiality

An unfortunate reality of the fandom at large is that spoilers are rampant. Everything from who the contestants are to their placement is leaked. In an attempt to quell this, producers include a clause in the contract that prevents those competing from discussing anything about their season in detail. While this doesnt stop information from being released altogether, it at least stops most of it at the source. Should a participant circumvent this non-disclosure agreement, then they could get taken to court to the tune of two million dollars. The stipulation covers everything from a queens statements on social media to their appearances across various media once the show has started airing making it clear why some choose to be as vague as possible.

#13: Nothing You Say Matters Unless That Cameras Rolling

As stated earlier, RuPaul isnt exactly known for having a warm off-camera rapport. If a queen tries to get too close, disaster may follow. During a break from filming an episode for Season 7, Pearl told the host how much she enjoyed working with her and how honored she felt. Rus response? To say that nothing she said mattered unless the camera was on. It was an unexpectedly harsh response, even if there was a grain of truth to it. In a genre like this, being genuine doesnt get you far unless its broadcast for everyone to see. Unfortunately, that lesson seems to have come at the price of a permanent split between Ru and Pearl and theres no telling if theyll ever mend it.

#12: Queens Get Only a Few Weeks To Prepare

Imagine this: after preparing your audition tape and waiting, you finally learn that youve made the cut. After the initial excitement, you need to prepare and unfortunately, you dont get much time. With just a few weeks to get all your looks for runways, mini-challenges, and whatever else ready, it suddenly becomes much more daunting. Even beyond outfits, some need time to learn how to sew, act, dance, or perform any other skill Ru has them show off. Even packing is a logistical nightmare, with contestants having a five-bag limit thats easily exceeded with hair, shoes, and makeup alone. Some queens have reported having even less time before filming; a testament to how dedicated they are to their craft and the program.

#11: Some Queens Pay Thousands For Their Runways

No wonder the queens are hungry for that $200,000 cash prize. With the time to prepare being so limited, those that cant or dont want to craft every single look instead turn to friends or designers for help. The contestants have been increasingly more candid about what it costs to finance their time on the show, with several spending at least four figures. Others have resorted to more desperate measures to ensure they can have the best runways, from personal loans to taking out a second mortgage. Others rely on the generosity of family and friends. With so much importance being placed on fashion and expectations creeping higher and higher with each passing season, we can only wonder when the bubble will finally pop.

#10: Queens are Isolated From Each Other

Many may wonder how the Drag Race producers are always able to capture the riveting interactions between the queens. Well, for one, contestants are reportedly isolated from each other when they are outside the werkroom. It is said that the queens are housed in separate hotel rooms and prevented from interacting with one another when the cameras arent rolling. In order to ensure strict adherence to this rule, the producers apparently place tape over their doors to know if anyone snuck out. Even more, the contestants are completely cut off from the outside world, with no phones to contact their loved ones. Now you know why they get so excited to see their family videos.

#9: Seasons Are Filmed In Roughly 4 Weeks

It takes anywhere from 12-14 weeks for a regular season of Drag Race to air in full. But that doesnt mean the show is filmed in the same amount of time. Although each episode is regarded as a new week, in reality, they are shot over a much shorter period. It has been widely reported that each season of Drag Race wraps up after roughly four weeks, with the average episode taking about two to three days to film. This would mean that the queens only have hours to sew and design exquisite dresses, come up with hilarious commercials and write sickening verses. Boy, it really does take nerve!

#8: RuPauls Bad Memory

Anyone whos a fan of Drag Race can attest to the fact that RuPaul has a pretty remarkable recollection of pop culture moments. So its quite surprising, and maybe a little shady, that Mothers memory becomes a little faulty when it comes to her own children. RuPaul has been captured multiple times forgetting the names of past Drag Race contestants. Sure, there have been a gajillion seasons at this point, and about a dozen times that number of queens, but the least Mama Ru can do is remember the winners names, right? Well, wrong apparently. Fans were stunned when RuPaul seemingly forgot that of the Queen of All Queens at DragCon 2022.

#7: Multiple Crownings Are Filmed

In the early seasons of Drag Race, the finale and crowning of the winner was shot in the studio, months before airing. However, after the season 3 winner was leaked by internet blogger Perez Hilton, producers of the show decided to alter the format. These days, a live grand finale is filmed in front of an audience, only a few weeks before it actually airs. In order to prevent spoilers, the producers film multiple endings, with each finalist being announced as the winner. RuPaul then picks the actual champion afterwards, which is only revealed when the episode airs. Hence, the winning queen gets to find out theyve won at the same time as the viewers.

#6: Merle Ginsberg Is Replaced by Michelle Visage

RuPaul and Michelle Visage have been squirrel friends for decades. The two reportedly first met in the late 80s and have worked closely together ever since. Although Visage is now a staple on Drag Race, she was noticeably absent from the judging panel during the first two seasons of the show. According to the multi-talented entertainer, she was contacted by RuPaul to be a judge right from the start. However, at the time, Visage had just signed a five-year contract with CBS Radio and wasnt permitted by her boss to appear on Drag Race. After going over her boss head to the VP of CBS Radio, she was given the go-ahead and replaced Merle Ginsberg from the third season onwards.

#5: The Strange Connection With Charles Manson

RuPauls Drag Race is a reality series centered around drag queens competing for the ultimate prize. So what in the world would such a show have in common with the cult leader and serial killer Charles Manson? Well, you can relax a bit. Manson has never been a guest judge on any of the episodes. However, some seasons of Drag Race have been filmed on soundstages in Simi Valley. Situated within Ventura County, California, the valley was reportedly once home to the Manson family and was the location of some of their despicable crimes. When asked about the connection in a Vanity Fair interview, Mama Ru said Weve come to cleanse the whole area of its checkered past.

#4: Youve Got She-Mail

RuPaul has come under fire in the past for some statements that have been viewed by many as transphobic. In the formative years of Drag Race, episodes began with a pre-recorded video from RuPaul that opened with the line [Ooh girl, youve got she-mail]. Regardless of the intentions behind this, the term was clearly a pun on the transphobic slur she-male. After a controversial season 6 episode, in which the slur was used in a mini-challenge, the show was called out for the lack of oversight. As a result, the mini-challenge was removed from the episode, and the opening line of the pre-recorded video was changed to the less controversial: SB

#3: Grueling Production Hours

Anyone whos worked on a film or TV show will not hesitate to let you know that production hours can be long. And while thats arguably harder for the technical crew on an average set, you have to take into consideration that the Drag Race queens need to be in full drag for the better part of the episode. According to some sources, a production day typically takes around 11-12 hours. This means that queens have to be tucked, wearing heels, hair and make-up, and be fully dressed for practically half a day. Its pretty understandable now why theyre quick to take off as much as possible as soon as they hit the werkroom for Untucked.

#2: Production Manipulations

Since its premiere, RuPauls Drag Race has been widely celebrated as a cornerstone of queer representation. But at its most basic, it is still a reality TV show, a genre that is apparently notorious for being heavily manipulated. Drag Race seems to be no exception. Reports have long made it online that the show favors certain queens to win, and sometimes sets up other contestants to fail, up to the point that they allegedly know beforehand that theyll be going home. While there may be no way of confirming this, fans have pointed out the perceived unfair treatment of Max and the unfavorable edit given to Jaremi Carey, formerly known as Phi Phi OHara, as indicators.

#1: Willams Disqualification

In the history of Drag Race, there have been quite a few shocking eliminations. One of the very first in that category was the disqualification of Season 4 contestant Willam. After winning the Frenemies episode alongside Latrice Royale, Willam was sent home for reportedly breaking the rules. It was later revealed that Willam had received unauthorized visits from her partner during filming, which constituted a breach of contract. Although the queen has maintained that there was another more shady reason for her disqualification. Since her exit, Willam has consistently spilled behind-the-scenes tea about the show, including claims that the queens were not properly fed, and the presence of safety hazards on set.

Which aspect of RuPauls Drag Race do you think is the most shocking? Let us know in the comments below!