Fans react to ‘heartbreaking’ Dear Viv doc about The Vivienne’s life and legacy: ‘A beautiful tribute’
‘Your Light Will Shine’ is a new song created in honour of The Vivienne. (Getty)
'Your Light Will Shine' is a new song created in honour of The Vivienne. (Getty)
Dear Viv, a new documentary about the star-studded life, untimely death and enduring legacy of James Lee Williams, aka The Vivienne, has been dubbed “the most gut-wrenching” watch by fans of the late entertainer.
The new documentary, created by RuPaul’s Drag Race production company World of Wonder, features moving interviews with the drag star’s friends and family, including Williams’ mother Cassie, father Lee, and sister, Chanel.
Williams’ family paint an intricate portrait of a mischievous young queer child and budding showman who brazenly came out as gay at school at just 14, before deciding to leave the family home in Wales for Liverpool’s drag scene at just 16.
A host of The Vivienne’s Drag Race sisters, including Cheryl The Queen, Baga Chipz and Raja, also share behind the scenes memories and reflections on how she became the guiding light of the British drag scene.
Williams died in January this year aged 32 from cardio-respiratory arrest, due to the effects of ketamine. Dear Viv also touches on the Drag Race UK winner’s struggles with addiction and how Williams sometimes neglected himself in favour of furthering The Vivienne’s future prospects.
Both an inspirational and heart-crushing watch, the documentary has been dubbed by the performer’s fans as a “brilliant tribute” that has left them “sobbing”.
“Just watched Dear Viv about The Vivienne. Emotional, funny and such a brilliant tribute,” wrote one moved fan on X. “A proper reminder of why they were so loved. Well worth a watch and tissues recommended.”
“Finished watching Dear Viv and I’m in tears after seeing her friends and family celebrate how talented and how much of a phenomenal person she was,” shared a second.
A third described Dear Viv as “the most gut wrenching thing” they had “ever seen”, adding that they had been “crying for 20 minutes”. Another said that they had “sobbed all the way through” watching.
RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 4 winner Trinity The Tuck, who starred alongside The Vivienne on all-winners season All Stars 7, urged her fans to watch Dear Viv to “keep the memory of The Vivienne alive”.
“I miss you so much my friend! There will never be another person like you,” she wrote on Instagram.
Labour Party MP Antonia Bance said that she had “tears” watching the documentary about her “dear friend”.
“Proud to be helping his family Chanel, Cassie and Lee with their campaign to get ketamine reclassified and raise awareness of its harm,” she added.
Chanel and the rest of Williams’ family are working with drug charity Adferiad to raise awareness of the prevalence and impact of ketamine.
Dear Viv is streaming now on BBC iPlayer and WOW Presents Plus.
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