Drag Race icon Sasha Colby hard-launches new boyfriend
Sasha Colby and boyfriend Ben Koenigsberg. (Getty/Dia Dipasupil)
RuPaul’s Drag Race‘s reigning queen Sasha Colby has hard-launched her new boyfriend, Ben Koenigsberg.
Appearing on the red carpet at Elton John’s annual AIDS Foundation Academy Award Viewing Party on Sunday (10 March), the 39-year-old trans icon formally introduced her new partner to the world.
Speaking to The Advocate, the Drag Race season 15 winner revealed that she met Koenigsberg several months ago while on a trip to her home state Hawaii for Pride.
Koenigsberg was visiting Hawaii from Seattle, and the pair ultimately “hooked up”.
Asked how he won Colby over, Koenigsberg joked to her: “I think you won over me.”
“The prize package was amazing,” Colby quipped in response.
She further explained that the pair had been together for “four or five months” and that they were “enjoying” their time together.
Colby is currently on tour across North America until the end of April, and her new man is cheering her on from the sidelines.
“We saw her show last night and I was nervous. For me, this is crazy,” Koenigsberg said of dating the drag legend.
“It’s just incredible. She’s bonkers as hopefully everyone knows. I’m just so proud of her. The show is amazing, and I just can’t wait to see what she does next,” he added.
Sasha Colby strutted into the Drag Race season 15 werk room in January 2023 as an instant contender for the crown due to her established reputation in the US drag world.
Four challenge wins later, and she beat off competition from Anetra, Mistress Isabelle Brooks and Luxx Noir London in the final to take the coveted crown. In the year since, she’s made her way to the US House of Representatives, and even worked with vice president Kamala Harris.
Aside from revealing her boyfriend to her fans, Colby took a moment to reflect on which queen she wants to see take the season 16 crown.
“I love Sapphira. I love a good pageant girl. She just seems like someone… we would hang out and do good Jameson shots at the end of the night,” Colby said.
“Nymphia’s amazing. They’re all so good! Q’s design aesthetic is incredible,” she added, joking that she’s glad she’s not on the show this time around, as the competition is so fierce.
RuPaul’s Drag Race season 16 continues on Fridays on MTV in the US and WOW Presents Plus internationally.
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