4 hours ago
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Josh Parry
LGBT & identity reporter
James Lee Williams, better known as drag star The Vivienne, died from a cardiac arrest caused by the effects of taking ketamine, their family has said.
The performer's sister Chanel Williams said her family "continue to be completely devastated" by the death of the 32-year-old and will be working with a substance abuse charity to raise awareness of the dangers of the drug.
The RuPaul's Drag Race UK winner was found dead at their home in Cheshire in January, with celebrities and fans around the world paying tribute.
An inquest is scheduled to take place in June.
Cheshire Police said there are no suspicious circumstances surrounding the performer's death.
Simon Jones, Williams' manager and close friend, said the family felt it was important to share the circumstances of their death.
He said: "I hope by us releasing this information we can raise awareness about the dangers of ongoing ketamine usage and what it can do to your body."
Williams, who grew up in Colwyn Bay in north Wales before moving to Liverpool, won the first series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK in 2019 and went on to have a varied career in TV and theatre.
They later became the only queen from a UK series to compete on the US version of Drag Race All Stars.
Their family said they "brought the sparkle to life" and will be missed "for eternity" during an emotional vigil in Liverpool shortly after Williams' death.
Celebrities including singer Jade Thirlwall and Ian "H" Watkins from Steps, as well as several fellow drag queens, attended the funeral alongside family and friends in Bodelwyddan, Denbighshire, at the end of January.
The Vivienne was praised for raising awareness of substance abuse during their time competing on series one of RuPaul's Drag Race UK, where they openly discussed how they sought help for their ketamine addiction.
The Williams family now hopes to continue this legacy by working with substance abuse charity Adferiad on a campaign aimed at opening up conversations about substance abuse and addiction.
Speaking for the family, Ms Williams said: "Ketamine is an extremely dangerous drug that is becoming more and more prevalent in the UK.
"If we can help raise awareness of the dangers of this drug and help people who may be dealing with ketamine addiction then something positive will come from this complete tragedy."
Ketamine, a powerful horse tranquiliser and anaesthetic, is a licensed drug and can be prescribed medically, but its usage as an illegal substance is growing among young people.
In England, the number of under-18s entering drug treatment who describe ketamine as one of their problem substances rose from 335 to 917 between 2020-21 and 2023-24, according to the National Drug Treatment Monitoring System.
Donna Chavez, a spokesperson for Adferiad, which runs a specialist detox and rehabilitation centre, said they were "incredibly grateful" to Williams' family for their support.
She added: "Their courage in sharing James' story will help raise vital awareness of the devastating impact substance use can have.
"We are seeing a worrying rise in the number of people using ketamine, often unaware of the serious risks it poses to their physical and mental health.
"By opening conversations and challenging misconceptions, we can help prevent further tragedies and support those in need to find hope and recovery."
If you've been affected by the issues raised in this article, help and support is available via BBC Action Line.
