Drag star The Vivienne died of a cardiac arrest caused by the effects of taking ketamine, their family said today. James Lee Williams, better known as the performer, died in January.
While police said there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding their death no details had emerged about the cause. Now his family has released further information ahead of an inquest scheduled to take place on June 30.
The performer’s sister Chanel Williams told how her family “continue to be completely devastated” by the 32-year-old’s death. And she said they will be working to raise awareness of the dangers of the drug.
Simon Jones, Williams’ manager and close friend, said the family felt it was important to share the circumstances surrounding 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.”
An inquest into the 32-year-old’s death was opened and adjourned at Cheshire Coroner’s Court in Warrington on Wednesday. It was told how the performer was found dead at their Cheshire home on Sunday, January 5.
At that hearing coroner’s officer Amanda Edgar said the star was found dead in the bathroom of the property in Chorlton-by-Backford, near Chester. It was told how Cheshire Police attended and confirmed there were no suspicious circumstances.
However Ms Edgar said: “Post-mortem testing has been undertaken, identifying an unnatural cause of death.”
The Vivienne had previously won praise forworking to raise awareness of substance abuse during their time competing on series one of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK. They then told how they sought help for their ketamine addiction.
The star’s family has said it will work with substance abuse charity Adferiad on a campaign aimed at opening up conversations about substance abuse and addiction. Speaking on behalf of 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 is a powerful horse tranquiliser and anaesthetic. It is a licensed drug and can be prescribed medically.
However it is popular among teenagers and 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, thanked the Williams’ family for their decision to speak out and give the charity support. She said: “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.”
The Vivienne grew up in Colwyn Bay, North Wales then moved to Liverpool. They won the first series of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK and came third in the 2023 edition of Dancing On Ice.
The Vivienne performed as the Wicked Witch of the West in a UK and Ireland tour of The Wizard Of Oz musical and reprised the role in the West End at the Gillian Lynne Theatre last year. They were due to be back on stage last month as the Childcatcher in the tour of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.