Drag Race star opens up about dramatic decision to quit the industry: ‘It led to a depression’

RuPaul’s Drag Race fan favourite LaLa Ri has revealed the reason behind his decision to hang up the paper bags and quit drag.

The Atlanta-based performer worried fans earlier this week with a cryptic post on his Instagram page, in which he shared a video of him dancing, with a caption that alluded to his retirement from the drag industry.

“Stepping into this new chapter has been such a wild and thrilling ride,” he wrote in the caption. “I may be leaving the drag behind but trust me, The LaLa Ri Experience is still very much alive and serving.”

Considering the star made into the top five on All Stars 8 just last year, and was awarded the prestigious title of Miss Congeniality on season 13 in 2021, his decision to step away came as a shock.

Now, in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the star has confirmed that the LaLa Ri Experience will look a little different going forward, and explained his reasons for quitting drag.

In summary, Ri, who will still be using the moniker in other endeavours, said: “I’m removing myself from the drag character. I’m basically removing the drag essence. I feel like drag places us in a box as artists and entertainers, and sometimes you’re limited to what you can do artistically.”

From here on in he will be performing and creating music, but without he wigs, heels and makeup, Ri added.

“I never intended to have a full-fledged drag career. I was pushed into doing drag. I never wanted to do drag for myself. I was already in the entertainment industry as a dancer and choreographer. I was doing music before drag. Drag was just a different outlet for me to perform.

“It blew up, I got on RuPaul’s Drag Race and it took off from there. It was like: ‘I guess I’ve got to stick with this for a while’.”

After becoming a hit with the fans thanks to his comedic confessionals, Ri was invited back for All Stars 8. But the Ru-turn wasn’t as beneficial for him as it was for viewers.

“I was going through a depression stage at that time about doing drag,” he revealed. “That’s how deep it was for me. I wanted to be on TV entertaining and I loved the moments I was out of drag, but the moments I was in drag, I was over it, completely.

“Now that I’ve accomplished everything I wanted to drag-wise, if there’s no passion there, and if there’s no love for it, why continue to do something I don’t want to do for myself? I was doing drag for everybody else, I wasn’t doing drag for me… I’m leaving it behind.”

In addition, he feels people take drag less seriously than other art forms, which has taken “a toll” on his mental health.

While he confirmed that his drag persona was dead, despite recently being asked to return for “quite a few things” related to the RuPaul’s Drag Race empire, he would happily act as an out-of-drag guest judge on the shows.

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