Lala Ri Opens Up About Quitting Drag

The Lala Ri Experience is here to stay — even if the musician, entertainer, and former drag queen behind the curtain is quitting the art form that helped launch it to international fame.

RuPaul’s Drag Race season 13 and All Stars 8 contestant Lala Ri exclusively reveals to Entertainment Weekly that he — yes, Lala’s correct pronouns are he/him, by the way — is done with performing as a drag queen. Outside of a few upcoming gigs that were previously booked, Lala is hanging up the wig that made him a global star in the queer community on two seasons of Drag Race — including taking the Miss Congeniality title and becoming Queen of the Fame Games on his all-star run.

Now, with his drag accomplishments behind him, Lala expresses that he no longer feels attached to the glamour and corsetry of the Main Stage. He is very much looking forward to re-establishing himself in a new spotlight as he hopes to carve out a new path for himself as a singer, performer, and fashion-forward entertainer.

‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ star Lala Ri quits drag.

Darius Voncel, courtesy of Lala Ri; World of Wonder/Paramount+

Read on for EW’s full interview with Lala on his decision to quit drag, his time on All Stars 8 that led to him going “through a depression” over his identity, and what’s next for him as The Lala Ri Experience charts its journey to new territory.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: I noticed something was up when you began posting photoshoots of yourself out of drag. Then, on Instagram, you slipped in a caption that said, “I may be leaving the drag behind, but trust me, The LaLa Ri Experience is still very much alive and serving!” So, the bag look finally got to you enough that you’re quitting drag?

LALA RI: I can’t take it anymore, solely due to the bag look. Thanks, bag look. You’ve won!

In all seriousness, you’re fully quitting drag?

Yes. How can I put this? I’m removing myself from the drag character. I’m basically removing the drag essence. I feel like drag places us in a box as artists and entertainers, and sometimes in drag you’re limited to what you can do artistically. I’d like to be considered a queer artist more than just a drag queen. I still plan to entertain, still do music, still do all the things I did when I was in drag — just without the drag.

You’re still performing as an artist, but quitting drag in the way most fans are familiar with the art form?

Yes, correct.

What inspired this choice?

It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a few years. I never intended to have a full-fledged drag career. I was pushed into doing drag. I never wanted to do drag for myself. I was already in the entertainment industry as a dancer and choreographer. I was doing music before drag. Drag was just a different outlet for me to perform. It blew up, I got on RuPaul’s Drag Race, and it took off from there. It was like, I guess I’ve got to stick with this for a while. Even doing All Stars, I wanted to be there, obviously, because the opportunity and platform is amazing, but I didn’t want to be there doing drag. I was going through a depression stage at that time about doing drag. That’s how deep it was for me. I wanted to be on TV entertaining, and I loved the moments I was out of drag, but the moments I was in drag, I was over it, completely. I didn’t show it. It’s been going on for years. Now that I’ve accomplished everything I wanted to drag wise, if there’s no passion there, and if there’s no love for it, why continue to do something I don’t want to do for myself? I feel like I was doing drag for everybody else; I wasn’t doing drag for me.

‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ star Lala Ri addresses quitting drag.

Pierre Richard Louis, courtesy of Lala 

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It takes so much confidence to stand in what’s right for you versus something people expect. Can you elaborate more on what you said about joining All Stars and the depression this led to?

It was more of an internal thing. I felt like I was getting lost behind the drag. Everyone was so focused on the outrageous comedy aspect of it, but I take art very seriously. Sometimes I feel like people don’t take drag queens seriously as artists because it’s dress-up for them. Before Drag Race, I was already an artist in the industry. Going into something where I felt like I wasn’t being taken seriously as an artist, it took a toll on me and led to a depression.

How do you want people to view you now, as an artist?

I want them to still see that I’m an entertainer, more so focused on my music. I never really pushed my music because I didn’t want to be considered a “drag queen” music artist. Once I remove the drag, I want people to focus on my music and I want to make the music I want to make. I feel like I was making music to satisfy the drag community. Now I’m making music that will satisfy more than just the drag community and talk about things I want to talk about as an artist. I’m getting into acting, I can’t talk much about it, but I did get a chance to film something out of drag, which I’m excited about, and more fashion stuff. As you can see, I’ve been posting on social media. I enjoy my boy vibe way more than my drag closet.

Does this mean Shari Colman is dead?

I would pull her out, because I like her. She’s the only one. I do enjoy her, okay? [Laughs]

I also want to clarify: Instagram now says pronouns are “he/him,” so everyone should refer to you by those pronouns, correct?

Yes, he/him. I never had an issue with people calling me he/him in drag. I actually had an issue with people calling me she/her. Drag was just a work uniform and a costume, I didn’t want it to define me as a gender identity. Being called she/her was an issue — obviously, I didn’t say anything, but he/him are my pronouns.