James Lee Williams, popularly known as The Vivienne, has passed away at the age of 32, their public relations representative confirmed on Sunday.
The news was shared by their publicist Simon Jones, who announced the sad news on Instagram. The cause of Williams’ death, however, was not disclosed in the post.
“It is with immense sadness that we let you know our beloved James Lee Williams – The Vivienne, has passed this weekend,” Jones wrote. “James was an incredibly loved, 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.”
The message continued: “We will not be releasing any further details. We please ask that James’s family are given the time and privacy they now need to process and grieve.”
Williams, who took their drag name from their admiration for fashion designer Vivienne Westwood, was best known for their successful stint on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK.
After making their mark as the UK drag ambassador for the U.S. version of the series in 2015, they became the first winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK in 2019.
Following their victory, Williams went on to appear in the seventh season of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars and made waves as a finalist in the 2023 UK series of Dancing on Ice, where they finished in third place.
In January of last year, Williams made headlines after falling victim to a hate crime committed by a man who punched and verbally abused them inside a fast food chain in Liverpool, U.K.
The suspect, who was ruled to be homophobic, was later given a 12-week suspended sentence.
