The household of The Vivienne have revealed the drag star died from a cardiac arrest brought on by the consequences of taking ketamine.
The star – actual title James Lee Williams – was discovered lifeless on January 5 on the age of 32 at their residence in Cheshire. Police later confirmed that there have been no suspicious circumstances round their passing.
Now, The Vivienne’s sister Chanel Williams has instructed the BBC that the household need to draw consideration to the circumstances of the tragedy to be able to elevate consciousness of the hazards of the drug.
“Ketamine is a particularly harmful drug that’s changing into increasingly more prevalent within the UK,” she mentioned. “If we may also help elevate consciousness of the hazards of this drug and assist individuals who could also be coping with ketamine habit then one thing constructive will come from this entire tragedy.”
Simon Jones, The Vivienne’s supervisor and shut buddy, mentioned: “I hope by us releasing this data we are able to elevate consciousness in regards to the risks of ongoing ketamine utilization and what it could do to your physique.”
An inquest into The Vivienne’s dying will is about to happen in June.
The star was the inaugural winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK in 2019, having already risen to prominence in 2015 after changing into the UK Drag Ambassador for the American sequence.
Williams, who was born in Wales, additionally got here third on the 2023 sequence of Dancing On Ice, and was additionally identified for his or her position within the musical model of The Wizard Of Oz.
A funeral was held in North Wales in January, with former Little Combine star JADE and JLS singer Aston Merrygold in attendance, in addition to Ian ‘H’ Watkins of Steps, Coronation Road star Claire Sweeney, comic Jayde Adams, former Atomic Kitten singer Kerry Katona, actress Jennifer Ellison and TV character Kim Woodburn.
Williams’ ex-husband David Ludford additionally paid tribute shortly after the information of their passing broke, writing: “My coronary heart actually sank after I bought the decision!! My coronary heart is shattered!!! By no means in 1,000,000 years did I believe I’d ever be writing something like this”. He would go on to explain his former companion as an “angel”. The couple divorced in 2023 after six years collectively.
