Lucky Starzzz compares ‘Drag Race’ exit to panic attack in front of RuPaul

Though she gave us other-worldly drag creations and had audiences puckering up for her sour lemon juice, luck wasn’t written in the stars for Lucky Starzzz on RuPaul’s Drag Race season 17.

But, that doesn’t mean she’s a falling star just yet. Though she finished season 17 in 14th place, Lucky is now among a legendary sisterhood of Porkchop queens who’ve sashayed away first on their respective seasons — and she made some great TV in the process.

She admittedly stumbled in this week’s design challenge (“Y’all know what I do, and it’s not this,” Lucky said on the show of constructing a gown out of fabric when she typically crafts unconventional materials into whimsical structures), but she gave fans a memorable talent show performance and even spiced up the Werk Room when she and fellow queen Arrietty engaged in light flirtation involving fantasies involving, uh, “paint.”

Ahead, Lucky breaks down her time on the show, including whether or not she and Arrietty ever got the chance to teach art class together, and clarifies her relationship to her sort-of drag mother, season 9’s Nina Bo’Nina Brown.

RuPaul’s Drag Race season 17 continues Fridays at 8 p.m. on MTV. Read on for EW’s full elimination interview with Lucky.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Before we get into the heavier stuff, fans were buzzing last week about Arrietty’s reveal in the confessional that she wanted you to “paint” her.

LUCKY STARZZZ: Yes, she wants me to!

As you’ll remember from our group interview, there was a lot of talk of hookups this season. How did you feel about Arrietty saying that in the confessional, and did anything happen between you two?

I think it was so funny and cute. I love weird little metaphors, so I understood. I was feeling her. We did like each other. I thought she was charming. She’s my closest friend from the cast after the show, I’ll say that. I want to leave it a bit of a mystery.

Were there any art classes after the show?

No painting lessons. Maybe one day we’ll do makeup on each other. But there are no painting lessons for now. Everybody is in their own painting studio. I’m painting with someone else right now, so I can’t really be out here painting everybody, you know? It’s too much painting, girl. The brushes are going to get really messed up.

On that note, what’s the tea on Kori and Lydia? Are they painting?

Listen, they have a whole art studio together. They are painting the house down. I see the paint splatters everywhere when I walk by. I smell the paint splatters. Yeah, they’re painting. [Laughs]

Speaking of heat, Joella and Hormona Lisa got a little spicy at the start of the episode, because you also came a little for Hormona in EW’s group interview, when you said that there were many, “Hormones — or Hormonas” raging this season. What did you mean by that?

When I said “Hormonas,” it was just a joke about the word sounding like “Hormona.” But, Hormona definitely ruffled some feathers. I lived for Hormona, she was so sweet to me and one of my best friends while filming. She got me mad one time, but it was little, petty stuff.

What did she do?

It was just a little comment she made while I was struggling, that’s it. But, she did help me. It was just a weird situation that pissed me off. I was spiraling, I was going through it, I thought she made it worse with the comment.

Lexi Love also had a moment with Hormona, they spoke on-camera about the off-camera moment Lexi clocked Hormona for adding her own rhinestones to her design, which is against the rules. What do you remember about that?

That happened all off-camera, the day of. I was spiraling already, and then I see Lexi talking to Hormona about some stones! It was so crazy. It was a crazy little morning. I wish it was captured on camera, because it was a cute little fight.

Also in our group interview were several references to “piggies,” and the comments noted that might be a Nina Bo’Nina Brown reference. I remember reading that she’s your drag mother, but the relationship recently changed. Can you clarify your relationship with her?

I was her sort-of drag daughter. I always saw her as my drag mom and mentor, but things changed when I got cast. We’ve had our ups and down. When I auditioned, we weren’t talking. She helped with my audition tape, but when the audition period started, we weren’t talking, so I wasn’t going to ask her, ‘Hey, help me with the audition?’ She was a support system when we started talking again. When I finally got the final call, she was supposed to help me prepare, but she kind of didn’t, and I was mad…. I tried to reach out to her, but it’s like, why am I reaching out to you about your problem? It was just a bunch of weird, petty, dumb stuff. I didn’t have time for that. I went, filmed, came back, I called her again, but I got so busy. Eventually, she unfollowed me, it was like a whole mess that didn’t have to be so messy. I spoke to her like, three days ago, actually, after months of not talking. I just want to be cordial. We’re cordial, I think. I hope. I don’t mind, though, I’m not sitting here sobbing about it. It is what it is! I still have a lot of respect for her and respect for her art. I’m always going to be a fan. But, I don’t know, drag daughter/mother? I consider myself to be her drag abortion. I say that in a fun way!

I hope that relationship continues to grow. Moving to this week’s design challenge, you immediately said that you didn’t like the fabrics because you’re not used to working with fabric. Hormona and Lexi tried to help, but you broke down in the room. Why did you have such a strong reaction?

I felt like I was cornered into the wall, with all that was going on. First of all, I don’t sew. I don’t work with fabric. I don’t work with cloth. That’s not my thing. I’m a crafty person, I hope people understand the difference. I craft things, I create characters, I create worlds with my drag. But, I don’t sew gowns, I don’t sew dresses. I will create a dress somehow — my way.

You said on the runway, “Y’all know what I do, and it’s not this,” and the dress definitely didn’t look like what we’re used to from you. During critiques, it looked like you were physically uncomfortable wearing something like that. Why did you have such an uncomfortable reaction?

I honestly felt so ugly. I know how drag queens are. I know queens all over the world are going to read me. I felt embarrassed, I felt ugly, I felt disgusting, I felt like a failure, which is one of my worst fears in life. In that moment, my worst fear came true: I was ugly, my drag was busted, I failed, so all of that came together. My situation back home is not good either, so I felt like, wow, am I really about to leave back to that? What did I do here? I just crashed down that day, so I had to cover my face while crying, because I get embarrassed when I cry. Imagine having a panic attack in public, in front of RuPaul. That’s how I felt.

You are not a failure. You showed so many great looks during press week, interviews, and on the premiere episode.

Support my Instagram, support my Facebook, my X, my OnlyFans… just kidding, I don’t have OnlyFans. My painting page! [Laughs] I’m joking. But, come to all my shows, ask promoters about me, keep me out there, keep me traveling, keep me touring, just spread the good word about me! Look at my dates on my page, keep yourself updated with me.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

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