Meet the divorced dad who’s using drag to reconnect with his estranged daughter
Julio in drag on MTV’s Drag My Dad
Like many parents and children, Julio and his daughter Gabi don’t have the best relationship. A divorce when Gabi was just a baby meant they didn’t see as much of each other as they would have liked.
So, the pair appeared together on MTV’s online series Drag My Dad, hosted by former RuPaul’s Drag Race winner Bob the Drag Queen.
The show helps fathers dress up to help bring down barriers in their relationships with their children.
In the episode, Julio explained that he encouraged his daughter to have an interest in soccer so they would have a shared interest and an opportunity to spend time together. However, when she stopped playing soccer, their relationship started to crumble, and they saw each other less and less.
Gabi brought her father onto MTV’s Drag My Dad so they could reconnect.
“I’m here today because I really do want to be closer with my Dad. I love him a lot,” Gabi said on the episode.
“My dad being in drag will definitely get him to reach into his feminine and vulnerable side.”
Julio said that the process was “out of his comfort zone,” but said he was prepared to try it in order to reconnect with his daughter.
Bob the Drag Queen decided to give Julio a “classic drag” makeover.
My dad being in drag will definitely get him to reach into his feminine and vulnerable side.
In an emotional segment of the episode, Julio revealed that his relationship with Gabi has been “difficult” since she stopped playing soccer, but he said he wants to find a new way to bond with her.
Meanwhile, Gabi said she doesn’t talk to her father about her life, saying that she tends to focus on “superficial” issues instead.
Julio apologised to his daughter for not trying harder with her.
In the episode, Julio apologised to Gabi for not making more of an effort with their relationship after she stopped playing soccer.
Bob the Drag Queen decided to follow the sport theme and dress him in a “referee-style dress.” In the big reveal, it was revealed that his drag name is Ms Bella Yell-Hard, or “The B**ch of the Pitch.”
Julio came out with a whistle and a toy football to complete his referee-themed look.
At the end of the episode, Gabi said she was more hopeful about her relationship with her father, and said he will “really go to the ends of the earth for me.”
