Nini Coco is a viral sensation!
The talented queen may have slayed her performance on the finale of RuPaul's Drag Race season 18 and came in second place, but her adorable boyfriend is also getting plenty of attention online.
During Coco's Q&A with RuPaul, the host asked her partner, AJ Escamilla, on how their relationship began officially 10 years ago. Although his answer was sweet, many fans were too distracted by his undeniable beauty and charm.
"He's going viral as we speak! They're loving him! We knew it too. We were like, when they show his face on that screen, the internet is going to lose it. I was learning about drag when I met him. He encouraged me to do it! He's my creative collaborator," Coco tells Out.
10 years is such an impressive feat for any relationship, especially since Coco started dating Escamilla at only 20 years old. The secret to success? Falling in love with your best friend.
"We just get along! We communicate really healthy. We just like spending time together! It's not a performance for someone else. We are really good at being companions in life. We've maintained our independence, but together, we're better. He doesn't want to change me and I don't want to change him."
While Escamilla got plenty of love online for his handsome looks, Coco is still receiving a lot of attention for her own lethal face card that went viral many times throughout the season.
"I was not expecting that! I'm very anxious twink coded, but that's what get the gays going. I'm here for it! I'm glad the boyfriend reveal happened at the end of the season, so they can stay thirsty all season long. Keep the attention coming! I'm sure he's going to get the thirsty DM's too now."
Beyond her eye-candy relationship, Coco's charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent all season rightfully brought her all the way to the top three.
It was a tight race to the final lip-sync of the season as many fans were rooting for her competitors Darlene Mitchell and Myki Meeks (the eventual winner), but her jaw-dropping performance to her original song "Stimulate" had fans jumping out of their seats.
"I knew I would! I knew I was going to, but it was a very rough crawl through the mud to get there. The last few weeks were improv hell for me. Give me the Ruverse at top four! It was a rough moment, but I knew I had to turn it out in the finale. I was not going to give up."
Coco knew she'd go out with a bang no matter what, but she was shocked to actually land in the top two against Meeks after RuPaul eliminated Mitchell from the competition.
"I was not expecting to be there, to be so honest. We didn't get to see the other performances, so I had no idea what Myki or Darlene brought. Based on the end of the competition, I was expecting to blow kisses and bow at third. I was gagged! I have notes for how I would have done it differently now, but that's okay."
