It's wild how quickly the fate of queens on RuPaul's Drag Race can change. Though she won the first maxi-challenge of Season 10, RuPaul's Drag Race star Mayhem Miller went from being number one to sashaying away in Episode 5. But thanks to the undying support from her iconic drag family, she says she still left the show a winner.
In an interview with Bustle, the Californian queen reveals what it's like to be part of such a supreme sisterhood. "My drag family is composed of the best of the best in our industry," she says. "And that is no lie, it is complete truth." A seasoned drag veteran, Mayhem has known some of her sisters for over 20 years, and, at this point, "It goes beyond Drag Race," she says. "It goes beyond drag. It’s a testament of true friendship and love."
As outlined in a previous Bustle report, Mayhem is part of a drag dynasty whose members have all appeared on Drag Race in the past, so she went into the competition with some incredible support and advice. Those family members include, Detox (Season 5 and All Stars 2), Delta (Season 3), Raven (Season 2 and All Stars), and Morgan McMichaels (Season 2 and All Stars 3).
"I speak to all my sisters every day," Mayhem says. "I speak to Delta twice a day, I talk to Morgan every day, I FaceTime with Detox every night drunk. We actually call ourselves 'The We.' We wear shirts that I made for each other and it says, 'We are We,' and that’s what my group of friends believe. We are all in this together, we’re all one, and that’s always been our focus."
For Mayhem, that sisterly bond was not limited to her drag family back home. She felt just as close to her fellow Season 10 queens, which is why she felt compelled to remind them that sisterhood should take priority over the competition — especially in the midst of the squabble between The Vixen and Eureka in Thursday night's episode.
"I just felt like the girls weren’t actually taking the time to listen to each other and talk out their feelings," she says. "I wanted to make sure that you know, they needed to let the bullshit go and realize that we’re all bonded together forever from this experience, and we’re going to be traveling together, we’re going to be working together for the rest of our lives."
After doing so well in the beginning, Mayhem was shocked to find herself packing away her diamonds and denim in the work room at the end of the fifth challenge. "Honestly, I was thinking, ‘This is a twist, I’m gonna go in here in this work room, I’m gonna start packing, and RuPaul’s gonna come around the corner like, ‘You know what girl?’"
Unfortunately, Ru never came to her rescue, but she didn't let that bring her down. She is still incredibly proud of her performance on the show, and it has brought her a newfound confidence in drag.
"I learned that my limits aren’t my limits anymore — they’re more than what I’ve ever done before in my life," she says. "It made me realize that I am a talented individual, and it pushed me to a new level for my drag I didn’t think I would be able to reach. It increased my confidence. It reassured me that this decision I made 16 years ago to do this professionally was worth it."
And thanks to her loving drag family's encouragement and drive, she will continue to reach higher. She is currently traveling and performing, she says she's going to be releasing music soon, and she's shooting a movie this summer. In other words, she's bringing all the best kinds of mayhem.
