Bow down to Joella’s Slaysian dynasty

If you’re watching the current 17th season of RuPaul’s Drag Race, you’re probably having a hard time “forgetting the ella” as much as we are after seeing a certain slaysian queen on our screens. Joella, a Chinese American drag queen, may have been an early out queen this season, but her impact on the show, and community, is infinite.

As the only Asian drag queen cast on this season, this dynamic resembled a sentiment Joella is all too familiar with.

Before being chosen to compete on the worldwide phenomenon, Joella’s tenacity helped her rise up in the ranks of the ferocious Los Angeles drag scene. As one of the leading Asian drag queens of the local circuit, she took up space in shows where you’d rarely see an Asian drag queen getting booked at. Winning competitions, strengthening her work ethic, and constantly showing up to local drag shows and supporting her drag peers (especially her Asian community members) culminated in Joella becoming a queen who was offered premiere gigs like being chosen to perform with Jojo Siwa, starring in Baby Tate’s music video, taking the stage with Kesha, and even being spotlighted at Katy Perry’s Vegas residency.

Joella performing to her song, "Don't Forget The 'Ella" during the episode one talent show.

MTV

To many of us queer Asian community members in Los Angeles, Joella was the shining example of the lengths our queer Asian excellence could go in this city. To white America watching the show who only see drag through their TV screens, her stance of being a local icon is “delusional.” But to the community she represents, a local icon she truly is.

Her run on Drag Race featured some iconic moments that you can’t help but live for. From her insane glory hole quilted look to her historic Untucked! moments that went viral on social media, Joella undoubtedly made incredible reality television. The season literally started with the special guest, Katy Perry, recognizing Joella in the Werkroom—she’s an icon, no argument.

You just can’t think of season 17 without thinking of Joella, and ultimately because of that, even without the crown, she’s won.

We chatted with Joella about her journey to Drag Race and her thoughts on the reception she’s gotten since the show—and we even got to have Joella clear the air on some of the controversies online since her elimination.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Andre Lawes Menchavez: So Joella, tell me how you found the art of drag.
Joella: I actually always wanted to be a female pop star. So when I first started to get into drag, I was into female impersonations. The first drag show I ever saw was in Vegas. It was Frank Marino’s Divas show and I wanted to go because I wanted to see Katy Perry be recreated. But I didn't really understand drag that much, but then my friend showed me the “Shut Up and Drive” lip-sync, and it totally changed my life. Then I saw Sasha Velour doing the rose petal reveal, and that changed my life, too. And then I started watching RuPaul’s Drag Race, and I was like, “Let me just try.” I entered an eight week drag competition right off the bat, and b*tch, I just kept doing drag!

ALM: Did any Asian drag artists inspire you most especially at that time?
J: It would probably be Jujubee. It’s the way she performed!

ALM: Jujubee was the first drag queen I ever interviewed when I started out with journalism! Love her. And speaking of starting out, we have to talk about your rise in the local scene in LA. As an organizer in the scene, I know you’ve been booked for some of the biggest gigs in the city, how was the process like making a name for yourself, especially as an Asian queen?
J: I didn't realize the gravity of how hard it was for an Asian queen to be in the scene until Miss Shu Mai emphasized with me, like, “Girl, do you realize that you're in shows that a lot of Asian girls aren't booked in?” Now there's more Asian girls booked everywhere, which I'm very happy about. But when I first came up in the scene, I did start looking around, and I was like, “Oh my god, there really aren't any other Asian performers in the shows I'm in.” And you know, for a long time I was so scared to be Asian, but especially now I really want to embrace my culture, especially at these shows, and especially with drag.

Joella's Marie Antoinette-inspired look for the "Is It Cake?" runway theme.

MTV

ALM: It’s incredible to see the queer Asian community growing, especially with drag! I know you have a strong group of Asian drag sisters, how influential has queer Asian solidarity and sisterhood in LA been to your drag?
J: It means a lot to me because when I was growing up, I never had a group of Asian friends. I feel like because I found queer Asian people, we really could connect on a level that I've never connected with anyone. And I really feel like it just boosted my confidence. It really helped me navigate the drag world, and made me feel like I had a spot in it. And also, they gave me so much support getting ready for Drag Race. I feel like without them I wouldn't have been able to do it. Even though I feel I wasn’t very level-headed on the show, I would’ve been much worse if it weren’t for them! [Laughs]

ALM: I’d love to hear more about that time prepping for the race! You got emotional during your Whatcha Packin’ interview when talking about those final moments before leaving to film. Could you share more on what made that time so difficult?
J: At first, I wasn't going to audition. I was gonna go back to school to make more money, because I kind of felt stuck in drag and felt like I was in this cycle of just going out, doing drag, then being bored of it, and then being like, “What is going on in my life?” I was in a very weird, dark place.

But when that call came, it was like I had unlocked another level to life. It just didn’t feel real. I mean, it still doesn't feel real. Like are you kidding me? I'm on RuPaul's Drag Race. That is insane. Getting that call girl, it was just crazy.

ALM: Well sister, you’ve made it! I don’t want to reopen the trauma of the show, but, I would love to ask about your time on it. Like that iconic Chinese cultural entrance look? It was the best entrance of the season. What was the intention and motivation of choosing that garment specifically, and how did you feel wearing that into the Werkroom?
J: I wanted something that would differentiate myself from the other girls, which obviously I was like, “If I'm casted and I'm Asian, I'll probably be the only Asian girl!” [Laughs] And then number two, I wanted something that represents my drag. I felt like I could do something with this traditional Chinese garment, which I feel like I actually looked the best I've ever looked in. But then using the hair for the gong? It was very much a gagful impact!

I was like, “You get one chance to walk into the Werkroom for the first time, and you better make your impact, because you don't know how long you're going to be there for.” So I wanted to make sure people were talking about me the moment I walked in. I felt so powerful, honestly, like when I was getting ready in my hotel room that day I felt like I was getting married. It was like I was getting married to the art of drag. It felt like a whole binding moment. It was spiritually binding thinking about how everyone's gonna talk about this run on Drag Race for the rest of my life. This is what I'm gonna be known for.

Joella's self-made outfit for the episode three sewing challenge.

MTV

ALM: I’m glad you brought up the fact that you were the only Asian queen casted. You were coming into season 17 fresh off Nymphia Wind’s win on season 16 and held all the weight of representation on your shoulders. Did you feel any pressure while competing because of that?
J: That was actually what I was thinking about 100% of the time. I was thinking about how the Asian queens watching were gonna see me. How is LA going to view me? How are all the people that I'm representing going to feel about me on the show? And when I was in that Untucked! lounge crying, I was being for real! I was being legit, I was really upset. I was like, “I'm not doing good, and these girls rooting for me are gonna be disappointed.”

ALM: I want to give you space actually to address that viral Untucked! moment. Without editing sounds in or cuts to shady confessionals like the final edit showed, I’d love to hear from you what was going through your head at that moment. It seemed like a genuine moment of you expressing your emotions letting your local community down, but people focused too much on your comment being an icon in local drag.
J: Okay, I first wanna say it’s whatever to me whether or not people think I’m considered an icon in LA or not, but I know I'm an icon in local LA drag. That's the tea. But in that moment, I thought about how in the local LA drag scene, people have literally come up to me and told me, “You look like a goddess, I'm so scared to come up to you, you look like an opulent rich lady.” I have literally been told those words! So when I was like, “Oh, I'm known for my looks. I'm known for serving opulence,” in Untucked!, I really meant it because people would tell me that, and I believed it. Maybe on Drag Race my looks might not match up to like a lot of people's, but it’s because that's a different level of drag than the local scene.

But also, I feel like in local drag, I am an icon. I was booked! I was booked so much in 2024, all across Southern California. Many times when I asked queens from LA or queens from the Inland Empire, “Do you know this girl? Or do you know this girl?” They don't know the queens I ask about. But I know all these girls because I’ve been everywhere. I was booked everywhere. That is not a lie. It was not me being delusional. However! Known for my looks and for serving opulence? That might have been a little bit delusional! Oh, my God. [Laughs]

Joella's iconic episode four look for the "Quilted For Your Pleasure" runway theme.

MTV

ALM: I can’t emphasize as a community member and event producer how much the local community values and loves you, Joella. I think one of the biggest things that makes you an icon to me in the scene is how much you support local drag, especially the queer Asian drag shows that fight to have a space in the nightlife scene. I know you had a viral exit line about not dying a local girl, but jokes aside, how much love do you have for the local scene?
J: I feel like it's so important to support local drag, because at the end of the day, without local drag there would be no Drag Race. Like, local drag is drag, and at the end of the day, I feel like these girls in local drag work their asses off and they're not recognized. I do feel so bad that on the show I came off as someone that was not grateful or doesn't like local drag because local drag is literally why I feel like I'm living the life I live today. It’s literally why I'm alive today.

When the allegations against me came out about my exit line insinuating I don’t like local drag, I was so gagged. Like, me? Out of all people? It was so strange. But at the end of the day, I mean, I was at a local drag show last night, honey! I love drag. I love local drag!

ALM: I literally have found so many emerging drag artists through your Instagram stories the last four years I’ve lived here. You're not only booked, you’re an active supporter, tagging and tipping the girls. Don’t let the trolls undermine the love you give to our community! And speaking of love, you’ve got so much love online from Drag Race alum and you’re being called an icon from all corners of the internet. How does all of this love feel?
J: It feels so good, like a light at the end of a tunnel. Because when the promos dropped, oh, my God, I was like, the fans do not like me. [Laughs] The fans were not latching onto me! They were like, “Oh, she looks like shit. She's this and that! She's first out.” It was crazy. But I feel like little by little, as the show started to air, the fans started to give me a chance, and then they started to really fall in love with me.

I'm just so grateful because I really thought this journey was gonna turn out a whole different way. I've literally had past Ru girls hold my hands, and be like, “Baby, you're gonna get edited all the way out, like, everyone's gonna forget about you.” I was so scared. But as soon as I saw the first episode, I just knew that the producers and the editors were on my side. [Laughs] They were like, this bitch made good TV!

ALM: And while the world now cannot forget the ella, what’s something you want the world, especially all the people attacking the queer, trans and drag community, to not forget during these trying times?
J: Right now, I'm quite overwhelmed with everything. It's quite hard to process, but I would like to say to queer and trans people out there to not let these f*cking hating *ss b*tches dim your light, because at the end of the day, we have gotten this far with our movement, and we’ll keep doing it. We have space. We deserve space. And I am Joella, and I will keep doing drag until the day I f*cking die. And there's not one red hat-wearing motherfucker that can tell me to put my wig down. If you're gonna wear that hat, I'm gonna wear my wig! [Laughs]