Drag Race’s Alaska claims Lea Michelle ignored drag stars at the Grammys

RuPaul’s Drag Race favourite and All Stars winner Alaska has claimed that Glee actress Lea Michelle effectively ignored her at the 2017 Grammy awards.

During the most recent episode of Alaska’s podcast Race Chaser with Drag Race mischief-maker Willam, the pair discussed the recent 2024 Emmy Awards being dominated by images of fellow Drag Race queen Princess Poppy skulking about the red carpet dressed as an evil green troll.

Reflecting on how Princess Poppy turned the glamorous Hollywood event on its head, Alaska shared her own experience of how uncomfortable it can be to be surrounded by mainstream celebrities while dressed in drag.

“I just love this Princess Poppy stunt. I’ve been to a few mainstream awards show in drag,” Alaska began.

“I went to the Grammys one year, because [All Stars 2 finalist] Katya and I were invited. Celebrities are mortified of drag queens, because we represent the sort of facade.

“We pull the curtain back of the facade of what Hollywood is. We make fun of it.”

She added some stars might be uncomfortable with the idea that drag performers get to take off their glitz and glamour, while mainstream celebs are keen to keep up the facade that their red carpet sheen is the reality of their lives. 

“People wouldn’t look us in the eye. Like, Lea Michele looked through us, wouldn’t even acknowledge that we exist,” Alaska alleged.

She then claimed that a very famous momager wasn’t particularly warm, either.

“Kris Jenner was there just looking so mad at her life that it had come to this,” Alaska said. “She was hosting the E! carpet and just looked so miserable.

“But, celebrities, at least back then, were mortified of drag. So Princess Poppy doing this, I think, is a great statement because she’s the sum of all fears.”

Michele, who has repeatedly gone viral over joke claims that she can’t read, isn’t exactly known for being someone who is easy to work with. In 2020, bullying accusations were levied against her by her Glee co-star Samantha Ware.

Even Willam has previously revealed that she had a negative interaction with Michelle while filming Glee, claiming that the star ignored her.

Last year, Michelle explained that she’d reached out and apologised to some of her Glee co-stars in an attempt to make amends.

“I think these past two years have been so important for everybody to just sit back and reflect,” she said. “I did a lot of personal reach-outs. But the most important thing was for everybody to just take a step back.

“More than anything, I’m so grateful to have this opportunity to apply the things that I’ve learned over the past ten-plus years in a positive way,” she continued.