August appears to be the month for spilling RuPaul tea.
First, the cast of All Stars 4 got the full rumor mill treatment (OK, that was July and it’s not exactly Ru tea, but it’s still some fun speculation).
Then speaking of All Stars, Michelle and Ru spilled a bit themselves on their podcast, What’s the Tee.
The pair talked about an on-set freakout by Ru, but they did not divulge what set her off.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Related: RuPaul just gave fans a rare glimpse at his personal life with rancher husband
But Willam posted that perhaps it had to do with Valentina’s almost-elimination. According to Willam, Ru saves Valentina despite both winning queens choosing her to go home. Drama!
We’re so used to seeing the supportive “everybody say love” Ru, but being the captain of a television drag empire can’t all be fun and games.
And now in a new interview with season 7 queen Pearl, we get another taste of the darker side of the rainbow.
Appearing on Hey Qween, host Jonny McGovern prompted her: “So you were saying – RuPaul surprised you.”
Pearl said: “Yeah, so as I was saying, I felt like the only way for me to like get anywhere on the show was to build some kind of relationship with the judges.
Related: 10 ways ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ has changed the world for the better
“We were filming a segment, just kind of chatting, and then the camera went down for a moment.
“I turned to RuPaul and I said: ‘Oh my God, I just want to say thank you so much. It is such an honor to be here, such a pleasure to meet you – you have no idea what this…’ just giving her everything I want to say to her.
“And she turned to me and she said: ‘Nothing you say matters unless that camera is rolling.’ And that broke my spirit.”
Peal went on to say that the interaction left such a mark that it affected her performance in the competition:
“That is the reason why I had one foot in and one foot out the entire time I was on that show.
Related: Which ‘Drag Race’ crown holder just popped up in a gay adult film?
“Maybe that’s me being petty, maybe that’s me thinking that it should’ve been something that I never should have expected it to be.
“But, in that moment, it was like so heartbreaking. Because I idolized her – worshipped her – and I felt like it was just so disrespectful.
“It was just so Hollywood, rotted, like gross thing. How could you say that to somebody who is just obsessed with you?’”
Watch below:
Discover more
barkomatic
Assuming the conversation went down the way Pearl said it did, Ru Paul’s response doesn’t surprise me.
“Nothing you say matters unless that camera is rolling”. That says to me that Ru Paul’s relationship to Pearl, the other contestants, possibly the judges and anyone else on the show have no value other than whether they can produce a compelling episode. Ru Paul probably considers such off camera interactions a waste of time and as brutal as that is it’s probably part of the reason he’s successful.
It’s silly and a little embarrassing to gush over a celebrity anyway. Why tell the person it’s an “honor” to meet them? You don’t know them to be able to judge what an honor it is (in most cases). Most people are just starstruck or trying to butter up the celebrity to get something. On the rare occasions when I’ve met famous people, of course I’m grateful and I generally say something to the effect of “It’s nice to meet you” and if the person wants to continue to talk or if I have something meaningful to say we will continue. If not, I let them be which is usually what they want.
QueerTruth
Maybe Ru felt Pearl was being fake in that moment. It’s very possible.
Ru may have felt that Pearl was complimenting Ru to move ahead. (And Pearl was. He just said that above.) And Ru may have felt that Pearl was being insincere since the cameras were off and suddenly Pearl gushes with love…
Just saying…
DarkZephyr
Right. Plus Ru is the Mother of Tough Teachings. Drag Race is a business and she was probably giving Pearl some hard advice. Honestly its something I would have expected Ru to say. It wouldn’t have broken my spirit because its so Ru.
Geeker
I’ve heard rumors for years that Ru isn’t nearly as nice as he portrays but Pearl is rumored to be a raging asshole.
Seabelly
I’ve met Pearl when she made appearances on Fire Island. She was always high and, as someone else noted, she was a raging asshole. Ru is a sober, no nonsense businessperson. I can only imagine how annoying it must be for her to have tweaked out airheads constantly blowing smoke up her ass. I’d snap a little, too, if I were her.
djmcgamester
How can you even be a drag queen if something that minor can “break” her spirit? Drama.
redcarpet30
OMG her teeth! Of all the queens to needed dental work on that show she was not one of them and certainly not the Jim Carey in The Mask Special!
DCguy
OMG!!!! You mean somebody who earns his living running a reality show told somebody to sae it for when the camera was running?!?!?! What a shock!!!!!!
Greg
I don’t see how Ru’s comment was spirit breaking. They are making a TV show. If you have something to say, do it on camera. Doing it off camera doesn’t do anybody any good. I hope Pearl learned a lesson. That’s why you don’t idolize or worship anyone. If anything, I think a person would like respect over being idolized or worshipped.
Ryuun12
I get the feeling if this was a white/straight/conservative saying this to a black/gay/liberal every single one here would totally agree how fucked that up is to say.
I honestly don’t know if its true, I find it weird how now all of a sudden he says this bad thing happened.
But if it is true, why say something like that? Yea maybe Ru doesn’t like to hear people gush, but he could’ve just said something about not believing him or to shut up. Not ‘you’re only a tool for my show you only speak when it benefits me’. That is an incredibly heartless thing to say, and all these mental gymnastics to find a way that Ru didn’t mean anything by it is astounding.
redboy70
Sounds like someone has a fragile spirit and may not be cut out for show business.
MonkeyMan
Ru may or may not be an asshole in real life but if a comment like that knocks you out and makes you act like a drugged up, sleepy fool then that’s entirely you not being cut out for showbizz.
I’ll also say that anyone who really makes it to the top in show biz has to be at least a little fake when you consider how people go nuts for celebrities and expect them to be these altruistic saints who have time and love for everyone, and really want to hear from the 30.874th person who cried when they read your book, etc., etc.. Celebrities are still people and need their space.
Furthermore, RuPaul is working a job when he’s on Drag Race, it’s not you meeting him in streets and striking up a conversation. Him picking you for the show is the same as him wanting to be your friend in private.
Either way; Pearl’s post Drag Race career tells me that she never was not ready for the crown during the show and he can’t blame anyone but himself for that.
Greg
Did you mean, Ru picking you for the show is NOT the same as wanting to be friends?
Greg
I’ve noticed that after a queen appears on Drag Race, they change their look. It’s usually an over-the-top caricature look.
tham
It’s a “reality” show “competition”…what part of that does Pearl not understand?
tranbobo
It is easy to click some links in google to evaluate