The Vivienne’s sister Chanel Williams has revealed new heartbreaking details following her brother’s tragic death, as she campaigns for ketamine awareness.
On January 5, the 32-year-old RuPaul’s Drag Race star was found dead at their home. Last week their cause of death was confirmed as “effects of ketamine use causing a cardiac arrest”.
Now, James’ sister has spoken publicly for the first time since the devastating loss. She aims to raise awareness and make changes regarding the dangers of ketamine.
The Vivienne ‘looking to future’ before death
Speaking on Lorraine this morning (March 24), Chanel admitted James’ death “completely devastated” their entire family.
She said: “It’s completely devastated us all. It was so unexpected and he loved life. So now, reflecting on everything, you just think what can we take from this now and what can we do.”
Chanel and her whole family are “really passionate” about “making changes” to help others who may be going through the same thing.
However, Chanel admitted that their family didn’t fully know what James was going through. And that they had even been looking to their future.
She revealed: “James was quite open about his previous struggles. And he had gone through long periods of sobriety. For us as a family, we didn’t know that struggle that was clearly going on towards the end of his life.”
Chanel revealed that James was in the process of “reading new scripts for his future” at the time of their sudden death. But now, her campaign for law changes is now “James’ legacy”.
As part of her aim to help others, Chanel is also trying to get Ketamine reclassified as a class A drug – something which she is very passionate about.
The Vivienne cause of death confirmed as effects of ketamine
Chanel admitted: “I think that’s where the classification of the drug currently isn’t in line with the risks that are associated. So, I’m fearful that the younger generation, where it is more prevalent, feel that it’s less harmful.”
Later today, Chanel will meet with government ministers to try to get her campaign pushed through.
She said: “So, it’s top of my list to get the drug reclassified. And to raise awareness. I just had a conversation with Tracey, who is the mother of Sophie Russell, who is going through the same thing.
“This is for James, It’s for Sophie. And it’s for everybody that’s currently affected or has been affected by ketamine.”
Last week, Simon Jones, friend and manager of The Vivienne shared a statement where he revealed the star’s cause of death.
He wrote: “I hope that by us releasing this information, we can raise awareness about the dangers of ongoing ketamine usage. And what it can do to your body.”
Throughout their career, The Vivienne was open about past struggles with drug addiction.
Last week, the Vivienne’s cause of death was revealed to be due to the effects of ketamine use.
The Vivienne, real name James Lee Williams, was best known for winning the first series of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK in 2019.
But a few years before their heartbreaking death, they opened up on their tragic addiction battle, explaining that before getting clean, drugs were once a “constant” in their life.
The Vivienne’s addiction battle
As reported in Gay Times on an episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK in 2019, The Vivienne shared their experience of addiction.
They said: “It was party and drugs. But I couldn’t leave the drugs at a party. It was a constant for me.”
Every night they would go on stage and perform. However, it was the daytime that they struggled with as they “didn’t do anything”. So they turned to drugs. Heartbreakingly, the Vivienne was kicked out of their home, and warned by medics they would be dead by 30.
Speaking about their struggles, the star admitted: “When people say: ‘You’ve got to hit rock bottom to get further,’ it sounds so stupid. But it’s the truth. I had to be kicked out of my house and told that I would be dead by the time I was 30. It was the loneliest part of my life. I was killing myself and my family don’t even know. I was [bleep]ing my life up and I could have been dead by now.”
Rehab and move overseas
James got help at a free rehab service in Liverpool called Armistead, which he praised on Drag Race in 2019.
But it was a move to the Gran Canaria in 2017 that truly helped the star to kick their addiction.
After arriving, James took a job at the Sparkles Show Bar in Las Palmas, quickly becoming one of it’s most iconic drag queens.
Meeting David
While in Spain, the star met former husband David Ludford, who helped him get clean and sober.
They were together for six years, finalising their divorce just over a year before James’ death. Despite their separation, the pair remained close friends.
Following The Vivienne’s heartbreaking death, many friends attended their funeral to say goodbye to the icon.
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