Yahoo News Exclusive: Drag Race's Trixie talks supporting Katya through drug relapse
RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 3 winner Trixie Mattel has opened up about her relationship with Katya Zamolodchikova following her stint in rehab.
In 2018, Katya admitted she had relapsed on crystal meth and had a “complete and total psychotic break from reality” which caused her to take a year-long break from drag to focus on her mental health.
On the podcast Whimsically Volatile, Katya recently explained how the country singer had helped her with her dark patch, praising how important her friendship was.
Speaking exclusively to Digital Spy, Trixie recalled what it was like supporting her friend through such a hard time.
“It’s difficult but if you’re somebody’s real friend I don’t think there’s really a flip side,” she said.
“It’s like any affliction, of course it’s awful but there’s no way around it, you just have to go through it. It was difficult for us in a professional sense, because we are partners and because we have obligations to one another.
“There was a whole four-to-six-month period where we didn’t hear from each other and I didn’t know what was going on. Sobriety is not a straight line.
“I don’t have any problems like that so I learned a lot about what you can do and how much you really can’t do for someone.”
Trixie, real name Brian Firkus, added that she didn’t take anything to heart, despite Katya admitting she “spoke trash” about her due to her paranoia.
“If a homeless guy on the street called you a f*g, do you listen? You know what I mean?” she said.
The UNHhhh star, who is currently touring the UK with her Skinny Legend tour, also discussed how recognisable she’s become across the world.
Although her drag look is so well known, the 29-year-old said she gets recognised out of drag “every day, multiple times, no matter where I go”.
“But I’m like 6 feet tall and very fair-skinned with a bald head so I think I’m just very noticeable to people.
“I’m just a bald head on a stick, like a lolly pop person so I think people notice me either way, then people who know me know it’s Trixie Mattel. I have a distinct look, not in a good way, I just look a little weird.”
Tickets for Trixie Mattel's Skinny Legend tour are available here.
For more on drug addiction and dependency, including information and support, please visit FRANK or Action on Addiction.
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