James Lee Williams, known as The Vivienne, died from a cardiac arrest caused by the effects of ketamine consumption, according to his family.
James Lee Williams died in January Photo: X
The artist’s sister, Chanel Williams, said her family “continues to be completely devastated ” For the death of the 32 -year -old and will collaborate with a charitable organization that deals with substance abuse to increase the degree of awareness of the drug dangers, writes bBC.com.
The winner of Rupea’s Drag Race Uk was found dead in the house in Cheshire in January, and celebrities and fans around the world have paid tribute to him.
An investigation is scheduled to take place in June.
Cheshire police said there are no suspicious circumstances around the artist’s death.
Williams’s manager and close friend, Simon Jones, said the family thought it was important to share the circumstances of his death.
He said: “I hope that, by publishing this information, we can increase the awareness of the dangers of continuous use of ketamine and what can do your body. ”
Williams, who grew up in the Colwyn Bay in the north of Wales before moving to Liverpool, won the first series of Rupaul’s Drag Race Uk in 2019 and continued to have a varied television and theater career.
Later, he competed in the American version of the show Drag Race All Stars.
Celebrities such as singer Jade Thirlwall and Ian “H” Watkins from Steps, as well as several Drag Queens colleagues, participated in funerals with family and friends in Bodelwyddan, Denbighshire, at the end of January.
The artist was praised for sensitizing the abuse of substances during their first series of Rupeul’s Drag Race Uk, where they discussed openly about how they sought help for their ketamine addiction.
The Williams family now hopes to continue this legacy through collaboration with Adferiad, a charitable organization to combat substance abuse, within a campaign meant to open discussions about substance and addiction abuse.
Speaking in the family name, Williams said: “Ketamine is an extremely dangerous drug that is becoming more and more widespread in the UK. If we can contribute to increasing the degree of awareness of the dangers of this drug and helping people who may face ketamine addiction, then something positive will come out of this complete tragedy. ”
Ketamine, a strong tranquilizer and anesthetic for horses, is an authorized drug and can be prescribed, but its use as an illegal substance is increasing among young people.
In England, the number of young people under the age of 18 undergoes an anti-drug treatment and describing ketamine as one of their problem substances has increased from 335 to 917 between 2020-21 and 2023-24, according to the National Drug Treatment System.
Donna Chavez, a spokesman for Adferiad, who manages a specialized detox and rehabilitation center, said they were “incredibly grateful ”
the Williams family for their support.
She added: “Their courage to share the story of James will help increase the vital awareness of the devastating impact that can have the consumption of substances. We assist a worrying increase in the number of people using ketamine, often without being aware of the serious risks they present to their mental health. By opening conversations and challenging the wrong conceptions, we can help prevent other tragedies and support those who need to find hope and recovery. ”
