10 Queens Who Quit Drag After RuPaul's Drag Race

10 Queens Who Quit Drag After RuPaul’s Drag Race

Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’ll be looking at the most notable drag queens who temporarily or permanently retired after competing on “Drag Race,” either due to their appearance on the show or other personal reasons.

Copper Topp

In 2022, Copper Topp competed on the fourth series of “RuPaul's Drag Race UK,” where they won the girl group maxi challenge as part of Queens of the Bone Age. However, they were eliminated the following week after losing a lip sync to Black Peppa. After the show, Copper Topp played Glinda the Good Witch in a production of “The Wizard of Oz” and released a punk rock single titled “Weirdo.” In 2023, the Cheltenham queen announced on social media that they were taking a break from drag to focus on their mental health, admitting that the previous two years had been especially hard. Several queens, including their season four sisters Danny Beard, Cheddar Gorgeous and Black Peppa, publicly rallied around them in support.

Magnolia Crawford

Many fans remember Magnolia Crawford as the second pork chop queen from the Season 6 double premiere, whose sharply contoured nose became a running joke among the queens and judges. At the reunion, Magnolia admitted she hadn’t watched the season after her elimination, and revealed that she only came on the show for exposure and publicity. It was clear that she didn’t intend to pursue drag long-term. That eventually turned out to be the case, as the Seattle queen quietly stepped away from drag to focus on her job as a flight attendant, as well as her comedy career.

Princess Poppy

The pressures of sudden fame can be difficult to handle, and that was certainly the case for Season 15’s Princess Poppy. The San Francisco queen was eliminated second, and before the season had even finished airing, she announced that she would be stepping away from full-time drag “for the foreseeable future.” According to Poppy, competing on the show was draining, and the experience became even more overwhelming once the season aired and she had to deal with the demands of social media fame. While she clarified that she wasn’t leaving drag forever, she expressed a desire to explore other creative outlets. That creativity was on full display when she briefly came out of retirement to attend the 75th Emmy Awards dressed as the Green Goblin.

Kenya Michaels

Kenya Michaels was a fan favorite on Season 4, remembered for her notorious Snatch Game performance as Beyoncé, and her infamous lip sync against Latrice Royale. After her second elimination that season, Kenya came out as trans, sharing that she had already begun her transition and was now living as Kenya Olivera. She continued to perform at bars and clubs around the world. Unfortunately, in June 2016, Kenya was on stage at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, just moments before the tragic shooting began. Although she survived, the experience left lasting scars. She retired from drag soon after and shifted her focus to Peluka Lab, a wig company which she now runs in Puerto Rico.

LaLa Ri

The LaLa Ri Experience was momentarily put on hold when the Season 13 and “All Stars” 8 contestant revealed that he was quitting drag. That announcement came in November 2024, just one year after LaLa Ri won the “Queen of the Fame Games” title on the eighth season of “All Stars.” The Atlanta-based queen disclosed that he never intended to do drag and was simply pushed into it. As a result, he lacked passion for the artform. Drag, he explained, limited him creatively and took a toll on his mental health, especially after having to perform on TV. However, the retirement was short-lived. By March 2025, LaLa Ri announced he was returning to drag, now with a renewed sense of purpose after the brief hiatus.

Aja

Aja had already competed on Season 9 and “All Stars” 3 when she announced that she no longer wanted to be identified as a drag queen. She preferred to be recognized as a queer artist, especially as she shifted her focus to burlesque and live music. Over the next three years, she built her career as a rapper and entertainer, releasing two studio albums in 2019 and 2021. However, after Kylie Sonique Love made history in 2021 as the first trans contestant to win a U.S. season of “Drag Race,” Aja began rethinking her decision. She came out as trans later that year and eventually returned to “Drag Race” as a contestant on “All Stars” 10, where she finished as a finalist.

Carmen Carrera

“RuPaul’s Drag Race” has long had a complicated relationship with the transgender community. In the past, RuPaul herself stated that she would be less inclined to allow trans contestants to compete, even comparing them to athletes who use performance-enhancing drugs. One of the most outspoken critics of this stance was Carmen Carrera, who competed on the third season of the show, where she finished in fifth place. Following that season, Carmen came out as trans and began the process of transitioning. Since then, she has mostly stepped away from drag, choosing instead to focus on modeling, acting and trans rights advocacy. Nevertheless, she has consistently called out RuPaul for using derogatory language toward trans people on the show.

Stacy Layne Matthews

This Back Swamp, North Carolina queen captured viewers’ hearts on the third season of “Drag Race.” Her infectious energy and signature catchphrase “henny” made her an instant fan favorite and secured her multiple appearances on “All Stars” 4. Stacy continued performing after that, but in November 2023, she shocked fans by announcing her decision to quit drag. In an emotional Instagram post, she revealed that she had “disappointed too many people” and “let fear and anxiety take over [her] life,” leading her to neglect both her physical and mental health. As a result, she needed time away from the public glare to focus on getting better. The announcement was met with an outpouring of love and support from fans and fellow “Drag Race” queens.

King Tyra

The winner of the second season of “Drag Race” has ruffled a lot of feathers since his time on the show. After his win, Tyra drew widespread criticism for posting a mock obituary for fellow queen Morgan McMichaels, and for threatening violence at DragCon, which led to him being banned from the event. In 2019, Tyra issued a public apology for his online behavior and announced his retirement from drag, citing harassment from fans and a desire to feel comfortable in his own body. However, in 2021, Tyra reversed course, returning to drag and embarking on a comeback tour. This return proved even more controversial, as Tyra drew backlash for mocking the deaths of “Drag Race” alumni The Vivienne and Jiggly Caliente.

Jaremi Carey (fka Phi Phi O'Hara)

Phi Phi O'Hara wasn’t exactly met with a good reception during their time on “Drag Race.” On both Season 4 and “All Stars” 2, the drag artist was given the villain edit and placed in direct conflict with queens like Sharon Needles and Alyssa Edwards. After “All Stars” 2, Jaremi Carey, the performer behind Phi Phi, received a barrage of vitriol online. Many fans judged his character and talent solely on how he was portrayed on the show, and the constant negativity eventually became unbearable. As a result, Carey announced that he was quitting drag and retiring the Phi Phi O’Hara persona. Still, he maintained that he would continue his work as an artist and entertainer, just under his given name, Jaremi.

Which of these queens would you most like to see make a return to drag? Let us know in the comments below.