Cherry Valentine to Jiggly Caliente, All RuPaul's Drag Race stars who tragically died over the years

RuPaul's Drag Race fans woke up to the shocking news of the death of Jiggly Caliente on April 27, Sunday. Jiggly Caliente, who was a past contestant on the Emmy nominated show, appeared during the fourth season back in 2012. The news of her death was announced by her family on her Instagram. It read:

"It is with profound sorrow that we announce the passing of Bianca Castro-Arabejo, known to the world and cherished by many as Jiggly Caliente. Bianca passed away peacefully on April 27, 2025, at 4:42 am, surrounded by her loving family and close friends. A luminous presence in the worlds of entertainment and advocacy, Jiggly Caliente was celebrated for her infectious energy, fierce wit, and unwavering authenticity."

Jiggly Caliente, whose real name was Bianca Castro-Arabejo, was born in Philippines, and shifted to the US in 1991. Although the cause of death was not mentioned in the statement provided by her family, according to The Guardian, her death comes after the Drag race star suffered an infection that required her leg to be amputated.

Over the years there have been several other past RuPaul's Drag Race contestants who have passed away due to various causes. Let us have a look at who they are.

The deaths of other RuPaul's Drag Race contestants explored, as news of Jiggly Caliente's death emerges

Jiggly Caliente, who was born on 29 November 1980, first came into the spotlight when she appeared on the fourth season of the show back in 2012, according to New York Times. According to Variety, Caliente came out as trans in 2016, and has since championed for the cause of trans and queer rights. She was disqualified on the seventh episode and was placed eighth overall in the fourth season. During an interview with Socialite Lite, Caliente revealed the origin of her drag name. She said:

"I thought I was cute like the Pokemon so I chose Jigglypuff. But I’m also a sexy bitch and since I do jiggle, I hacked off the “puff” and put “Caliente” on the end since it’s Spanish for “hot” – hence Jiggly Caliente emerged."

She further expressed how she got started on her drag journey, saying:

"It was a dare that took on a life of its own. A friend dared me to do a drag talent search and I ran with it since then."

In 2021, she appeared on the RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, but was eliminated in the second episode, after which she appeared as judge on Drag Race Philipines.

Her tragic and sudden death comes just three months after the death of RuPaul's Drag Race UK winner, James Lee Williams, who was popularly known as The Vivienne. The news of their death was released by their family, although the cause of death was not revealed. The statement read:

"James was an incredibly love, warm-hearted, and amazing person. Their family are heartbroken at the loss of their son, brother, and uncle. They are so proud of the wonderful things James achieved in their life and career. We will not be releasing any further details. We please ask that James' family are given the time and privacy they now need to process and grieve."

Cherry Valentine, another contestant of RuPaul's Drag Race UK, passed away in September 2022. It was later reported by BBC that Valentine, whose legal name was George Ward, died by s*icide, as they struggled with fame and was suffering from depression prior to his death.

Another contestant, Chi Chi DeVayne passed away on August 2020 after suffering from pneumonia. Previously, in 2018, DeVayne, whose real name was Zavion Davenport, was diagnosed with scleroderma. A month before her death, DeVayne was hospitalized due to kidney failure related to her diagnosed condition. A month later, she died due to pneumonia.

Antoine Ashley, who was popularly known by the stage name Sahara Davenport, appeared on the second season of the show but was eliminated in the sixth episode. According to the statement released by her family, Davenport died of heart failure at the age of twenty seven.

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Another contestant, Bandit Janthawan, known by his stage name Bandit who previously competed on the second season of Drag Race Thailand, passed away on 26 December 2023, at the age of thirty eight. No cause of death was released by his family.

The news of Jiggly Caliente's untimely death has sparked an outpouring of tributes from fans and fellow RuPaul's Drag Race contestants.

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