RuPaul's Drag Race star Vanessa Vanjie Mateo shares the most chaotic dating story of her life on Fuse's True Dating Stories, and it's as hilarious as you might think.
Just ahead of the show's premiere, we talked with Miss Vanjie about the show, her post Drag Race experience, if she'd appear on All Stars, and what she's looking for in a man.
PRIDE: It's been a few years since your run on Drag Race, what are your top 2 memories since competing on the series?
The first thing that comes to mind is being recognized by somebody that I've always loved growing up, being invited to the Savage Fenty Show and all of that, it's so much fun. So Rihanna's noticing me, recognizing me, and having me do a few things with her, that's one of the things that sticks out in my head.
Another would be the Vegas Live Show. It was the first residency of its kind, and it's been amazing, it's been fun. Those are the two things that stick out right now in this moment,
What are your favorite memories from your Vegas Live tenure?
You know we took a break and then we went back into it after the whole COVID and the pandemic got better. Getting back into the swing of things, it was like, "How did we do this before?" Cause you know, we been sitting at the house, they eating, and then my tolerance was less. I was drinking like I would used to drink, and I was like, "Ooh, I can't hang." So, getting back into it and everybody was just all over the place.
Would you ever consider going on a RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars season?
Yeah, I definitely would like to go back because the show has a special experience that you don't really experience anywhere else. Just because I've changed so much since the show, like I can't even watch it back and not be like cringing at myself. I definitely wanna go back to do the runways, and I definitely wanna go back and compete, and have a good time, and let them ho's have it.
Let's talk about True Dating Stories. You're on the new season and you share the story of a terrible date that ended in a confrontation in a Chinese food restaurant. As a native Texan, I have to ask which city you were in.
I was in Dallas. I used to live in Plano.
So what happened?
I mean, it was definitely an experience.
I literally was at that time thinking, "how the hell did I get myself into this?" That's what I was thinking, after, like why did I get on a plane, go all over here for some dick, like I need to get my life together. That's what I was thinking. That's one of those moments, and that's what you're going to see when you see the story. And I clicked out, and I flipped a table, and threw a few drinks and things. It was, but you gotta go through things like that in life.
Will we see it as a reenactment?
So I'm telling the story in drag, and giving them the scoop and the rundown, and then they'd have people reenacting it and doing it like the visual for it.
What do you look for in a good date?
What I look for in a good date is somebody who's... well chemistry, that can hold a conversation, has a sense of humor. Probably taking me somewhere, not the club. Not trying to get twisted and turned. A cocktail or two is cute, but don't take me to the club and then introduce me to a bunch of ho friends. Like what the f*ck? So somebody who's not trying to live that lifestyle.
They're gonna be more trying to be serious. I'm like maybe we can go to the club after, you know, in the future, but not the first time.
True Dating Stories returns for a third season on February 2 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on Fuse and Fuse+. Watch a clip below:
