Mirage opens up to EW about how three cocktails helped her get through a gut-wrenching exit that brought her to her knees: "It was just so disappointing."
Friday night's episode of the Emmy-winning reality competition series ended with one of the most painful exits in recent memory, with virtually every queen standing at the back of the Main Stage, bawling as they watched their beloved sister — who landed in the bottom for her performance during the RDR Live! comedy challenge — fall to her knees as she processed her elimination through a wave of tears.
Below, Mirage reflects on the gut-wrenching moment in a candid elimination interview with EW, in which she also covers not knowing the words to the lip-sync song — Cher's "Dark Lady" — the success of her talent show song "She's Such a Bitch," and getting some liquid courage to get through the turmoil by slamming back three House of Love cocktails before hitting the Main Stage.
RuPaul's Drag Race season 16 continues Fridays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on MTV. Read on for Mirage's full elimination interview.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: You entered Untucked and immediately chugged an entire drink. You said in our first interview that you like to perform while drunk sometimes. Were you drunk for this lip-sync?
MIRAGE: Um, probably. Yes. It had been a while since we had lunch. I slammed those drinks because I had a feeling that something wicked this way comes. I said, if this is it, then, we’re going in. This might be my last House of Love cocktail; I’m going to have three!
That’s the way to go. Of all of Cher’s discography, what did you think of this song as the one you had to lip-sync?
I was afraid to admit that I’d never heard that song in my entire life, because it’s Cher! You expressed fear in Untucked that you didn’t know the lyrics. At the end of the lip-sync, Michelle Visage said —very softly — “not one word.” Did you hear that?
Oh, no. I did not. But, I did know the words “dark lady.”
You knew two!
Right, Michelle! If she would’ve said, “not three words,” maybe she’d have a case. [Laughs]
It must be an incredible amount of pressure trying to learn lyrics in a small amount of time.
That’s already something I struggle with in general. That’s one of the hardest parts of drag. Once I got out there, everything I did learn was just out the window. I blacked out and I don’t remember.
You went in knowing a little?
The music started and I remember turning around and facing the judges, and panic set in. I knew I didn’t know it. You don’t want to look RuPaul in the eye and not know her favorite artist. That was awful and embarrassing.
In getting to know you, I assume this kind of song isn’t one you’d usually do at Piranha?
Definitely, yes, that’s a correct assumption. I don’t want to sound like I’m making excuses. This is a drag queen’s job to learn new songs and perform them.
There’s a quick shot of your hand getting tangled in something. What was going on?
Oh, damn. I was hoping they wouldn’t show that part. My ring got stuck in my cheap-ass f---ing plastic ponytail. That’s pretty much it, it pissed me off. I was annoyed because I knew that wasn’t a dancing wig. It was a cheap Halloween party wig that I brushed before I got out there that looked decent enough to go out on the runway, but I knew it was going to get tangled.
Ru said something about the wig confusing ‘60s- and ‘70s- era Cher. Was it always your plan to wear it?
That was always the plan. I tried to wear it as a wig, and I was like, this is ugly. It was giving Halloween, it was giving Morticia Addams, I was like, I don’t look like Cher, I look spooky. So, I put the bangs on last-minute and did it more like a ponytail.
You also broke down and fell to the ground after your elimination. What was going on physically and emotionally?
When they say the wind was taken out of your sails, it felt like, damn. I’m not sure I know how to articulate it. It was just so disappointing. I’ve never had that happen, I’m sure the House of Love cocktails had something to do with it, my dramatic response, and being a drag queen, we do love the drama. I just let it take over me. I’ve never been a very emotional person, I do not like crying, let alone in front of people I’ve never met, let alone on television. That was awful, and I was trying to hide.
What was it about what Ru said that got you back on your feet?
I don’t remember. I blocked it all out, I don’t remember RuPaul talking to me after, I remember crying, I bent down, like, damn, okay, they’re not going to stop. There’s no, let me take a break or anything, so I was like, let me get out of here and take my own break. I also didn’t know that would be the last time I’d see the girls.
It's such a strong sisterhood. They’ve all supported you and your talent show song “She’s Such a Bitch” so much. Were you expecting fans to have such an enthusiastic response to this song? Not at all. I really thought it was a stupid… well… in a fun way. It was just dumb, silly. I don’t think I could do it again if I tried.
There’s no album in store?
Let’s talk a bit about the challenge. When Sapphira gave the role to you, you seemed nervous after initially wanting the host role. I was a little suspicious that she just gave it to me. Then, I was like, why? That was going through my head. But then it was like, okay, period, thanks, that’s what I wanted.
At the beginning of the episode and again in Untucked, there was more Plane Jane and Amanda Tori Meating drama. Was the vibe in the room as tense as it came off to fans?
In general, I was living for it because it wasn’t directed toward me. I think that was the thing: we couldn’t tell, either. I don’t think Plane Jane is dumb, and I also don’t think that she is evil. Does she know that she’s being a bitch? Is she doing it for television? I was confused, and I tried to explain it one time, like, you don’t know her the way we do, and that’s why it sounds so bitchy when you do it. Then, she kept doing it, so I was like, you know what, she doesn’t care. I tried. So, I kind of ignored it after that.
Anetra is a big part of your sisterhood in Vegas. What was her reaction when you got home?
I knew she wasn’t going to be disappointed. I never told her when I go home, I never told anybody, people just found out on Reddit. We still haven’t talked about it. She knows I didn’t win, and she knows I didn’t come in second place like her, and that’s about it!
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