James Lee Williams, the drag artist known as The Vivienne, was discovered deceased in their bath by a neighbor, an inquest has revealed. Concerned friends had been unable to reach Williams prior to the discovery.
Williams, who secured the inaugural win on Ru Paul’s Drag Race UK in 2019, is believed to have died at their residence in Chorlton-by-Backford, near Chester, approximately two days before their body was found on January 5.
The Cheshire Coroner’s Court in Warrington heard that the 32-year-old had privately battled an addiction to ketamine and had recently relapsed after a period of sobriety.
Senior Coroner Jacqueline Devonish delivered a conclusion of death by misadventure after the court was informed that Williams had suffered a cardiac arrest induced by the drug.
Williams, who used they/them and he/him pronouns, had previously discussed their addiction struggles on an episode of Ru Paul’s Drag Race. Their father, Lee Williams, testified that this was the first time the family had learned of the issue.
However, Mr. Williams believed his son had successfully maintained sobriety, and the immediate family was unaware of the relapse.
Mr. Williams told the court: “He was just an outgoing character, full of life.”
“He just wanted to give people laughs and help them on the way, and I think in a way he achieved that.”
Bobby Musker, giving evidence at the Cheshire Coroner’s Court in Warrington, stated that he last spoke to the drag performer on the night of January 3.
Mr. Musker, visibly emotional, told the court: “Him taking drugs didn’t define him as a person because he’d done so much more than that.”
“He did so much good, I don’t want the public to see him as what happened with his drug use.”
At the time of their death, Williams had recently completed the first leg of a tour in a musical stage adaptation of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and was on a break before resuming work, the inquest heard.
The court was told that Williams last communicated with their father via WhatsApp messages at approximately 21:30 GMT on January 3, and with Mr. Musker on a video call around 20:22 that evening.
On the morning of Sunday, January 5, Williams’ manager contacted Mr. Musker, inquiring if he had heard from the drag artist.
Mr. Musker stated that he knew his friend’s “work was his life” and found it unusual that they had not responded to their manager.
After failing to reach Williams, Mr. Musker contacted Janine Godbold, a neighbor who had become close to Williams since they moved to the village approximately three years earlier and possessed a key to their front door.
Ms. Godbold stated that she was not initially concerned due to inclement weather, including snowfall, and the frequent phone signal issues in the semi-rural area.
In emotional testimony, Ms. Godbold recounted that her son, Ryan Godbold, drove her the short distance to Williams’ house, where they approached the front door.
“I thought something was strange because there were no footprints in the snow,” she said.
Ms. Godbold noted that Williams’ dog, Panda, also “threw itself” at the front door upon their knocking, which was atypical behavior.
After receiving no response, Ms. Godbold and her son entered the property and discovered that all the downstairs lights were on.
She found Williams’ body in the bath of their en-suite, noting that their face was not submerged.
“He just looked like he was sleeping,” she told the court.
“I ran over to him and put my hand under his head because I didn’t want his face to go underwater.”
“I screamed for Ryan, telling him he needed to call an ambulance and to get some help.”
Ms. Godbold stated that she remained and spoke to Williams while her son called for emergency assistance.
Police officers and paramedics who arrived at the scene determined that Williams had been deceased for some time.
Cheshire Police Detective Sergeant Thomas Philpott informed the inquest that there were no signs of forced entry or disturbance.
He stated that police search teams discovered five empty snap bags in the house that appeared to have contained drugs, the inquest heard.
Four of the bags were found in a bathroom bin, spaced out with “rubbish between them,” suggesting that Williams had not taken them all at once, the court heard.
Mr. Musker stated that he was aware that Williams was using ketamine again based on their demeanor during the video call and the fact that they had mentioned going to Liverpool, where they typically purchased the drug.
However, he noted that Williams did not appear excessively intoxicated.
Mr. Musker said: “He wasn’t taking it constantly, I know that.”
“When he was off work, and he was at home alone, he would struggle with his sobriety sometimes.”
Ms. Devonish stated that she was satisfied there was no evidence to suggest Williams had intended to take their own life.
“He wasn’t taking drugs every day, it was occasional and the focus should be on him because drugs don’t define the person he was.”
Williams was raised and educated in Colwyn Bay, North Wales, before relocating to Liverpool as a teenager, where their fondness for Vivienne Westwood clothing inspired their drag name.
It was in Liverpool’s drag scene that they first met Mr. Musker.
They regularly performed in bars and clubs throughout what is now known as the city’s Pride Quarter before moving to Gran Canaria, a popular destination for drag performers across Europe.
Williams initially gained national recognition by winning the first series of Drag Race UK and subsequently became the only British drag queen to compete in the American series.
In addition to their work in the drag community, their appearances in London’s West End and on television programs such as Emmerdale, Dancing on Ice, and Saturday Night Takeaway contributed to their widespread recognition.
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