An inquest has determined that The Vivienne, the beloved drag queen known offstage as James Lee Williams, did not intentionally take their life following a tragic incident involving ketamine.
The coroner ruled that Williams’ death, which occurred at their home in Cheshire on January 5 of this year at the age of 32, was a result of “misadventure.”
Earlier in March, the family shared that the performer had succumbed to “the effects of ketamine use causing a cardiac arrest,” emphasizing their goal to raise awareness about the risks associated with the drug.
During the inquest held at Cheshire Coroner’s Court in Warrington in February, it was reported that Williams was found unresponsive in the bathroom of their residence in Chorlton-by-Backford, near Chester. Authorities confirmed that there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death.
Williams’ funeral was held in Bodelwyddan, Denbighshire, North Wales, and drew attendees including fellow RuPaul’s Drag Race UK contestants Tia Kofi and Baga Chipz, along with Steps singer Ian “H” Watkins, TV personality Kim Woodburn, and Coronation Street actress Claire Sweeney.
Throughout their journey on Drag Race, Williams shared their struggles with substance abuse, revealing they battled addiction for four years. “It was party, drugs, but I couldn’t leave the drugs at the party; it was constant for me,” they said, explaining that this dependency grew rapidly and had a strong hold on them.
Originally from Colwyn Bay, North Wales, Williams moved to Liverpool and recently placed third on the 2023 series of Dancing On Ice. They played the Wicked Witch of the West in a UK and Ireland tour of The Wizard of Oz and reprised this role in the West End at the Gillian Lynne Theatre last year.
Scheduled to return to the stage in March as the Childcatcher in the tour of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang— a role they had first portrayed the previous year—Williams’ passing has sparked further discussions about the increasing illegal use of ketamine. According to the Home Office, around 299,000 individuals aged 16 to 59 reported using the substance in the year ending March 2023, representing a record surge in usage.