What Manila Luzon Really Thinks About The RuPaul And Pearl Controversy
RuPaul's feud with Pearl is among the most infamous in "Drag Race" herstory, with the particulars still hotly contested to this day. As Attitude details, the Season 7 competitor had a noticeably frosty interaction with host RuPaul Charles in the workroom, but it wasn't until years later that Pearl opened up about what really happened.
During an appearance on the YouTube series "Hey Qween," Pearl revealed what happened at one point backstage.
"I turned to RuPaul and said, 'Oh my god, thank you so much. It's such an honor to be here, such a pleasure to meet you, you have no idea,'" she recalled. "She turned to me and she said: 'Nothing you say matters unless that camera is rolling.'"
Pearl admitted that this completely broke her and acknowledged that's why she seemed checked out during her season. Producers subsequently banned Pearl from ever appearing on "All Stars" due to her perceived infraction.
"I was never dumb enough to think I would be invited back for 'All Stars,' but to openly punish me for being honest about a situation that happened with me after four years of silence is disgusting and shameful," she argued.
In a since-deleted social media statement, she also revealed: "It's not just me. I've had conversations with multiple queens, off the record, just me and them, that went through the exact same thing."
Was "Drag Race" icon Manila Luzon one of these mysterious confidantes, or does she feel completely differently about the situation?
Manila Luzon felt Pearl should've shown more respect to RuPaul
Although Pearl has made her feelings on RuPaul Charles clear, fellow "Drag Race" alum Manila Luzon doesn't feel she's in a position to comment on the situation.
Luzon, who competed in Season 3 as well as "All Stars" Seasons 1 and 4, was asked for her thoughts by Gay Times. "I heard about it but I haven't seen it so I don't really have a full comment," she said.
However, she argued that it seemed, at least on the show itself, "that Pearl had a bit of an attitude towards Ru, so I wouldn't be surprised if Ru gave her a bit of attitude back. I mean, it is her show, and she is RuPaul after all, right?"
This isn't the first time Luzon has toed the party line rather than potentially facing off against the almighty power of Mama Ru. During "All Stars" Season 4, she revealed that a menstruation-themed dress for a particular runway had been nixed by the host for being in "bad taste."
Sharing a pic of the look on Instagram, Luzon said she'd been instructed to wear her backup outfit instead. Although Luzon acknowledged she was disappointed, she didn't complain. "It is not my show, it's Ru's," she said. "Because of Ru, I have my very own platform to speak for myself and show you all my interpretation!"
Her attitude is in stark contrast to the likes of Willam Belli, who has made a point of exposing the harsh realities of "Drag Race."