They've retired from drag.
While most LGBTQ+ artists who appear on RuPaul's Drag Race have their drag careers catapulted to new heights, not all of these contestants are interested in doing drag forever.
Over the years, many former contestants (and even winners!) have retired from their drag careers as a result of their performance on Drag Race and/or due to the response they received from fans. In other cases, they simply chose to pursue new endeavors and focus on different career paths, hobbies, and art expressions.
Whatever the case may be, certain queens did give up on doing drag after appearing on Drag Race, which is something that most fans aren't entirely aware of. While people like Jaremi Carey (formerly known as Phi Phi O'Hara) have briefly retired their drag personas but recently went back to exploring the artform, other Drag Race contestants have fully left drag behind them and haven't looked back since.
Scroll through to find out which former RuPaul's Drag Race contestants have quit drag since appearing on the show.
Rebecca Glasscock (Season 1)
Despite being the ultimate underdog of RuPaul's Drag Race season one, the judges clearly saw something in Rebecca Glasscock and she made it all the way to the top three. Over the years, however, Glasscock has quit drag indefinitely. She made a brief comeback for the finale of Drag Race season 10 - which featured the season one queens to commemorate 10 years of the show - but has ultimately retired from drag and moved on to other endeavors.
James Ross F.K.A. Tyra Sanchez (Season 2)
Despite winning the second season of Drag Race under the Tyra Sanchez persona, for years, James Ross no longer uses that name, had completely retired drag, and wished to no longer be associated with the show.
But in September of 2022, Ross confirmed their return to the artform of drag, launching an exclusive OnlyFans account under a new name: King Tyra.
"ALL HAIL THE KING." Ross wrote in the first post of the King Tyra OF page, the only place where Tyra's drag can be seen. "Here for nudes? LMAO! You know better than that! The King is coming back and it ain't no time for that! This probably the best d*ck pic you'll ever get! Next update in a lil bit!"
Carmen Carrera (Season 3)
Longtime viewers know that Carmen Carrera has been very outspoken against certain elements of Drag Race. Since publicly coming out as a trans woman, Carrera has left drag behind, taking on different professional opportunities and living her most authentic life.
Stacy Layne Matthews (Season 3)
In November 2022, Stacy Layne Matthews shared a heartbreaking Instagram post announcing that she was quitting drag for good. The season three star wrote:
“My last show was my last show. I've disappointed too many people. I let my mind and body get the best of me. I let fear and anxiety take over my life. I have given myself a reputation that I never had planned.”
She continued, “I'll be stepping away from social media. Focusing on my mental health, my physical health, and my well-being. (...) Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your lives when there was still joy and passion in my life. Thank you for allowing me to hopefully put a smile on your face. I've never been the one to be ok with disappointing anyone... And before I do any more damage, it's time I step away. If one day I decide to return, I hope there will be at least someone there to return to who still has some faith in me as an entertainer and as a human being. Until then.”
Alisa Summers (Season 4)
After appearing on Drag Race season four, Alisa Summers became another former contestant who retired from drag altogether. Summers' reasons for quitting drag, as well as their current out-of-drag status, are more unknown in comparison to other former contestants.
Kenya Michaels (Season 4)
Since appearing on Drag Race, Kenya Olivera (better known by her stage name, Kenya Michaels) has come out as a trans woman and has also left the artform of drag in the rearview mirror. On the fourth season of the show, she made it all the way to the top five. But now, her drag persona has since been retired.
Vivienne Pinay (Season 5)
Many years before The Vivienne was crowned a champion on RuPaul's Drag Race UK season one, Vivienne Pinay walked into the werkroom of Drag Race season five and was unfortunately sent home during a double sashay alongside Honey Mahogany. After the show, Pinay decided to keep a low profile and abandoned this drag persona.
Honey Mahogany (Season 5)
Honey Mahogany still uses the same name that fans became familiar with on the fifth season of Drag Race, but she is no longer a drag queen. Since her journey on TV ended, Mahogany focused on her transition and became a political figure and activist in San Francisco. As of 2022, Mahogany is a candidate for District 6 Supervisor. You can learn more about her campaign here.
Ivy Winters (Season 5)
The Miss Congeniality of season five, Ivy Winters is no longer a drag performer. In recent years, Winters has focused on other endeavors such as creating homemade goods and sharpening her gardening skills.
Magnolia Crawford (Season 6)
Magnolia Crawford was eliminated in part two of the split premiere of Drag Race season six. Back then, Crawford's drag was not well-received by the fans, and that sentiment was doubled down during the reunion special when Crawford revealed that she hadn't seen the rest of the season following her elimination. In a way, it wasn't too surprising that this very negative Drag Race experience led this artist to retire their drag persona.
Robbie Turner (Season 8)
Robbie Turner had a very complex journey on her way to retiring from drag. In April 2018, Turner tweeted that she had just survived a car accident that she could barely recollect. She explained that her Uber driver did not survive the crash, but that she had somehow made it home "with barely a scratch."
It was reported a few days later that Turner's car accident story never actually took place, with Uber itself chiming in that none of the company's drivers had died from a recent trip as it was described by Turner. As a result, Turner issued an apology on Instagram and talked about regretting the things she had previously tweeted out. Since then, Turner retired from drag and never re-appeared in a public manner.
Princess Poppy (Season 15)
After being eliminated from season 15 of Drag Race, Princess Poppy became very absent on social media. During an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Poppy opened up about her struggles with fame and revealed that she was taking a step back from drag “for the foreseeable future” in order to explore different creative avenues.
The queen explained:
“I want to fall off the face of the planet. I don’t want to be famous. I want to fade into obscurity. That’s not a bad thing. I think people put so much emphasis on success and fame, and it’s okay to not want to be famous. It’s totally valid to not want to be known by a bunch of people. That’s just not what I want. I don’t want that for my life.”
Copper Topp (‘Drag Race UK’ Season 4)
Copper Topp competed in the fourth season of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK and placed 10th overall. During her time on the show, Topp won the girl-groups challenge as the Queens of the Bone Age band alongside Danny Beard, Cheddar Gorgeous, Dakota Schiffer, Le Fil, and Pixie Polite.
On October 4, 2023, Topp shared an X post explaining that she was taking an indefinite break from drag. The Drag Race UK star wrote:
“It is with a heavy heart that I have decided that I need to take a break from drag. The last two years have been some of the hardest I’ve ever experienced and the truth is that I am not ok. In light of this, this account may be quiet for a while as I allow myself the time, space, and energy I need to work on my mental health. This decision will not affect my appearance in the Wizard of Oz, which I’m very excited for, or at DragCon 2024. I look forward to seeing some of you there, when I hope to have found my smile again.”