Trixie Mattel recalls breaking down in tears at Katya’s home: ‘A real friend’
Trixie Mattel has opened up about how much her drag sister Katya has supported her. (Getty)
RuPaul’s Drag Race winner Trixie Mattel has shared a touching story about her best friend Katya, recalling spending hours weeping in front of her fellow star.
As a wise and worldly woman once said: it’s not personal, it’s drag. But sometimes, when a queer artist dedicates their life to the performance art, drag is nothing but personal.
No one knows that more than the drag world’s hardest working doll Trixie, who, after almost a decade of non-stop touring, performances, music releases, TV and web series filming, makeup flogging and hotel running, has decided to take a break.
Trixie, who won All Stars 3 in 2018, has told fans not to expect a return to drag until at least October. Until then, people will only be seeing plain old Brian Firkus.
She’s previously said that decision was down to her having worked herself “into an auto-immune disorder”. She has revealed that she has been diagnosed with both arthritis and temporomandibular, a joint disorder.
Now, speaking on Sam Smith’s The Pink House podcast, Trixie has reflected on her arguably unhealthy work ethic, and how her Drag Race season seven sister Katya keeps her grounded, supporting her when she needs a cry.
“We balance each other out. If it was up to her, she’d never leave the house and we’d never work. If it was up to me, we’d work eight days a week and live in drag.”
“She is so much more tuned in[to] a healthy way with work. She’s like: ‘Girl, we’re not curing cancer, we’re not doing brain surgery, we’re not airlifting people out of Sudan. It’s not that serious’.
“I will stress myself out, I will put in that 11th hour for that pay cheque, and she reminds me this is supposed to be fun. Drag is supposed to be fun. When it’s not fun, it’s your fault, because we’re our own bosses.”
In addition to running herself into the ground through overworking, Trixie admitted that it’s not fair on her audience when she is working her “seventh day in a row” and is “exhausted” while on stage.
Often, it’s Katya who calls in to question how much she’s forcing herself to work, telling her she already has money, and doesn’t need any more at the end of the day.
“I get her to work a little more and she gets me to work a little less. We help each other in that way. I joke about how, ‘we’re not real friends, we only work together’. If something really good or really bad happens, [she’s] the first person I call,” Trixie added, before admitting that she has spent hours crying in front of Katya over the past 12 months.
“The amount of hours this last year I have clocked crying in front of that person? I have gone to that person’s house and just sat and cried for hours and went home. That’s a real friend,” she said.
When “Unholy” singer Smith gushed about such a “beautiful” friendship, Trixie spent a few minutes explaining in detail how much she loves her co-star.
“The thing about her is, she is God to me. She is my favourite person. She’s the funniest f**king performer.
“He [Brian McCook, Katya’s real name] is so funny out of drag. I can’t describe it. When we first started becoming friends, it was like we both spoke a secret language that we didn’t know anyone else could speak and we didn’t know we spoke ourselves. It was magic.”
Even when their friendship has hit the rocks, or Katya’s struggles with mental health and addiction have become a barrier – she had a brief stint in rehab earlier this year – Trixie always knows they will make it through.
“For me, particularly, this friendship is always worth the bullsh*t. I’m best friends with an addict. Sometimes I do have to remind myself, this person is worth the bullsh*t.”
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