All Stars 9’s Vanessa Vanjie reveals unaired moment that made her cry
RuPaul’s Drag Race triple competitor and icon Vanessa Vanjie has revealed that there was a moment during All Stars 9 that drove her to tears – but it was cut from the final edit.
All Stars 9 is well underway, and the battle for beautiful Benefactress Badges (which translate into a shot at the season’s grand charity prize of $200,000), has already reached a fever pitch, just five episodes in.
Episode five of the season saw Roxxxy Andrews pull ahead with three Badges – and nearly incur the wrath of Angeria Paris VanMicheals with the vicious Ruby Snippers – but she, along with Vanessa Vanjie, received her first badge as a gift from fellow competitor Nina West in episode four.
While Nina (for some reason) gifted Roxxxy an extra badge, fashion icon Gottmik gave hers away to Vanjie, amid a flurry of speculation that the latter pair were in an alliance.
Appearing at Roscoe’s Tavern, a gay bar in Chicago (in)famous for its Drag Race and All Stars viewing parties hosted by All Stars 8‘s Naysha Lopez on June 7, Vanjie revealed that it was that specific moment that made her cry, though it was cut.
“When Mik gave me the badge, I started crying and everything, everyone was trying to help me say what I was feeling in the moment and I was like [speechless],” Vanjie, who appeared on seasons 10 and 11 of Drag Race, explained.
She went on to add: “Yeah! I was crying, because I couldn’t believe all this gossip was happening about us, and da-da-da-da-da, and [Gottmik] still was like, ‘Girl f**k it, I’m gonna give you the badge regardless of what people think,’ and that’s when I started crying in the [confessional].”
Vanjie, who got her first ever Drag Race win in episode four’s makeover challenge on All Stars 9, then explained that the moment had been cut from the edit of the show which was broadcast.
“They didn’t show that! And I texted [production] and I was like: ‘Why the f**k y’all didn’t leave that in there?!’ To show the people, you know, it gets emotional.'”
All Stars 9 is the first Drag Race instalment to have its assembled queens (which is made up by Plastique Tiara, Shannel and Jorgeous) play for charity; heading into episode six, Roxxxy is at the top of the leaderboard with three badges.
Vanjie, Plastique and Gottmik all have two, while Angeria, Jorgeous and Nina all have one. Shannel has zero.
RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 9 airs on Fridays on Paramount+ in the US and WOW Presents Plus in the UK and internationally
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