RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars10 has really shaken things up. The first tournament-style season has allowed for the biggest cast in the franchise’s history, and with such a deep bench of talented and charismatic queens, we’re not complaining!
Last week, the arc of the first bracket came to a close with Irene the Alien, Bosco, and Aja advancing to the next round. But before the eliminated queens — Deja Skye, Phoenix, and Olivia Luxx — were sent all the way home, RuPaul announced one more twist (this is All Stars after all): That one of the queens would be returning in the final round for one more chance to compete for glory!
We can’t wait to see how this turns out! In the meantime, PRIDE caught up with two of the queens, Deja Skye and Phoenix, to talk about their return to the Werk Room, and the conversation took a moving turn as each of them bared their soul about their joy over the opportunity to share their full selves of with the fandom, but also how painful that can when what should be a celebration of their talents becomes a cruel and harmful critique of their appearances. While the announcement of both of these queens’ returns was greeted with plenty of joy and fanfare, they also became the target of toxic commentary on both their faces and bodies — which was not only cruel, but also harmful to their mental health.
Keep reading for our poignant and powerful discussion about the utter head trip of interacting with a fandom that can quite literally save a queen's life, while simultaneously tearing them down.
Phoenix, DeJa Skye, Aja, Bosco, Olivia Lux, Irene the Alien attend RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 10 Red carpet & Premiere Party at Gitano on May 08, 2025 in New York City.
Santiago Felipe/Getty Images for Paramount+
PRIDE: It’s been so amazing to have you back on my screen this season! In these dark, dark, and desperate times, you’ve both brought me so much joy! Now that you've shot the season, done the press tour, and had time to reflect on the show, how are each of you feeling about your time on Drag Race All Stars 10 and what you got to share with the audience?
DEJA SKYE: My goal was pretty much to share my story and have people actually get to know more about me. Because on season 14, I don't think people knew anything about me. My story really wasn't told. Technically, I had three things I wanted: to show transformation, I wanted my story to come across, and I wanted to have some sort of meme-able moment. I definitely had that with the "nosy neighbor."
PHOENIX: It's been so long since I was on [Drag Race] some of the audience probably wasn't even born yet when season 3 was on. I wanted to reintroduce myself. I have such a different style. I'm this old-school Southern drag mixed with a new-age kind of edge to it. I'm not gonna sit and be like, 'Oh, I didn't want to win.' But that was not first on my list, it really wasn't. I just wanted to really have a good time and reintroduce myself.
Santiago Felipe // Getty Images for Paramount+
I love seeing queens from early seasons come back, because so much has changed, but the skills and the talent and the charisma have always been a part of the show. As you pointed out, you were in the Werk Room more than a decade ago, and the show has changed a lot — as has the fandom. I'm curious, how has your experience been dealing with the new fandom?
DEJA: Ooooh!! [Laughs]
Yes! We are asking the tough questions today!
PHOENIX: I have received lots of love from around the world. Sometimes I forget how big Drag Race is. When I decided to talk about my sister, I received some of the most beautiful, also heartbreaking stories in my DMs from all around the world. I try — at least with the positive ones — to respond back to them, whether it be hearts or a thank you or something, because I'm like, you know what, you took a moment to reach out to me. I want to acknowledge that I see you. I've been introduced to the toxic side of the fan base, but luckily, there've been so many amazing moments from fans that I will cherish those moments forever.
Talking about my sister was such a process, and it was such an internal conversation that I had to have with myself and had to have with my mom. My mom was like, 'But son, there are going to be millions of people around the world that are going to relate to what we went through and the heartbreak that we're still living with.’ And when I decided to share it, those conversations that I received in my DMs were exactly why I decided to share my life with people.
Santiago Felipe // Getty Images for Paramount+
As much as we want to act like it was in the past, people are still experiencing COVID-19 and loss around the pandemic. So I thought that was very, very brave of you.
PHOENIX: COVID may be over with, but the heartbreak that we went through is not.
One hundred percent! Deja, it has not been as long since you were in the Werk Room, but in your personal life you went through something massive, you lived a lifetime since the last time you were here. I'm curious how that experience impacted the way you approached and experienced Drag Race this time.
DEJA: I was technically still healing when I was doing All Stars. The whole reason why I took the call was [because] 10 is such a monumental number. But I also, you know what, there could not be an All Stars 11 and I wanted to show not only a transformation, but I wanted to get my story across. I knew it was a story that quite a few people could relate to, and honestly, it is a tale of caution. Don't just go into something because it's cheap. Don't just do things because of societal standards. No one ever went up to me and said, Deja, you're fat. You should lose weight. And it never hindered me as an artist. So, going back into it, I was like, why did I really do this? I'm very happy now with where I'm at and my body looks great, but it was just a cautionary tale of, like, so dark and gloomy, and where there was contemplation of unaliving myself just because of the pain and the feeling of being alone. I'm already an overthinker, so being alone, literally at home, bed rotting, was not the best thing. I think that what I got from it, though, was a lot of positivity, just like Phoenix, a lot of DMs, a lot of people being like, thank you so much. I'm really going to do my research.
Santiago Felipe // Getty Images for Paramount+
I love that you’re having that impact. It's interesting because there’s also this element of the fandom that feels very entitled to comment on your bodies and appearances. It's rude on one end of the spectrum and dangerous on the other end of the spectrum. I really appreciated your story and how it highlighted that.
DEJA: For me, it was kind of weird. I don't think I ever had body dysmorphia until I lost weight. I was still able to perform. I was still able to be a fierce queen. So it wasn't until I lost weight that I started picking apart my body. Like, 'Oh, I don't like that now. I don't like this now. And then the fandom just perpetuated that by saying, 'Oh, this doesn't look good on you, and that doesn't look good on you.' I'm sure Phoenix can attest to this...
PHOENIX: Oh, absolutely.
DEJA: The things that I put onto my body and what I portray and drag are supposed to make me feel good. It's not supposed to make you feel good. It's not supposed to make a judge feel good. What we portray as an artist is supposed to be our image to the world, and as long as I feel good in what I'm wearing, that's all that matters to me.
So it's so weird that a fandom feels entitled enough to say, 'Well, I don't think this [is good].' Well baby, I frankly, don't care that you didn't like my dress or you didn't like my hair. I did these things because I felt the most beautiful and I was brave enough to go on TV and show that to the world.
Fans, obviously, they're entitled to their opinions, but I think that easing up and just knowing that when it comes to body image, is the hardest thing... you're crossing the line because it's toxic and it should not be part of our fandom.
PHOENIX: To touch on that... know that I've had work done since season three.
Santiago Felipe // Getty Images for Paramount+
Who amongst us hasn’t been touched by an angel?
PHOENIX: I didn't do this for anyone else, but for me. If you don't like it, you didn't pay for it! Everyone has an opinion about everything. Let's not fool ourselves and say that we don't have an opinion, whether it's positive or negative. But for me, some of the stuff that people have said has been — I legit could not imagine saying that to another human being.I have thick skin, but it's moments like that as a human being. Fuck drag, fuck anything else. This is my real life.
I'm so sorry that it happened to you. Drag is one of the most powerful art forms we have, and so thank you for being so generous with your art and your stories.
PHOENIX: Look, I am such a lover of drag and the art form. I say, all the time, I could stop doing drag today and go watch a drag show tomorrow. I will forever be a fan of drag and the power that drag possesses, and what drag has done for our history. I preach all the time: Know your history. If you look at the history of drag and what we have done for our community, I'm so proud to be a part of it.
Liz Liguori 
