RuPaul may be the head of a hugely successful reality TV franchise and have the memory of a steel trap when it comes to pop culture, but he can’t remember a name to save his life.
The iconic Drag Race host is frequently guilty of spacing out and forgetting the names of even famous queens who have been on one of the franchise’s many shows.
To be fair, RuPaul may have a hard time remembering names, but she is the host of a franchise that has grown to include 18 seasons of the main show, 10 seasons of All Stars, and an ever-growing list of international spin-offs, which is why Trixie Mattel called RuPaul an “equal opportunity name forgetter.”
In fact, RuPaul has forgotten so many names — regardless of how famous the person is — that it should be considered a badge of honor by now. Have you really been on Drag Race if RuPaul doesn’t forget who you are at some point?
Adam Shankman
@entertainment_weekly RuPaul is never beating the forgetfulness allegations 😂 While introducing the director of his new movie, ‘STOP! THAT! TRAIN!,’ the #RuPaulsDragRace host hilariously struggled to remember longtime friend Adam Shankman’s name. “Now I know how all the rest of the queens on #DragRace feel,” the filmmaker joked afterward.
At the premiere of RuPaul’s film Stop! That! Train!, the reality TV host forgot director Adam Shankman’s name so completely that she even tried to look at the movie’s poster to find it, ultimately giving up and saying, “Give it up for this man!”
Jinkx Monsoon
Jinkx Monsoon took home the crown at the end of Drag Race season 5 and All Stars 7, but that didn’t stop RuPaul from forgetting her name during a hilarious moment at the DragCon LA 2022 ribbon-cutting ceremony that quickly went viral.
Shangela
@babzbabes THE END HAHAHAHAHAHA ILY @bendelacreme !!!! #drag #dragqueen #dragqueeens #dragrace #rpdrqueen #rpdrqueens #rpdr #rpdrqueen #bendelacreme
In a TikTok video in 2022, BenDeLaCreme shared that RuPaul frequently forgets the names of queens from the show, including Shangela.
"When all of us were on All Stars 3, [RuPaul] looked at Shangela and said, 'Haven't you been here before?' We've all been there before, it's All Stars! That still cracks me up,” BenDeLaCreme said.
Alyssa Edwards
On Drag Race season 18, RuPaul said that Nina Coco looked like “Alicia Edwards,” clearly forgetting the name of Global All Stars winner Alyssa Edwards.
Ginger Minj
The promotional tour for RuPaul’s film Stop! That! Train! has put a hilarious spotlight on the Drag Race host’s forgetfulness.
Not only did she forget director Adam Shankman’s name, but during an appearance on Today, RuPaul forgot that Ginger Minj was on All Stars 10, even though she was crowned the winner.
'Drag Race All Stars 8'
@rickycornish Not @RuPaul forgetting which show is premiering today at @RuPaul's DragCon. 😭😭 #AllStars8 #DragRace #gay #lgbt #rupaulsdragrace #dragraceuk #rupaul #dragcon
RuPaul is so bad with names that she couldn’t even remember the name of her show.
At DragCon LA 2024, the Emmy-winning host nearly forgot the whole title of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 8 when promoting the new season.
