RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 7 icon Monét X Change reveals why Jinkx's name was on her final lipstick

Joey Nolfi
·10 min read
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Monét X Change was never not giving strategy on RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 7.

The AS7 runner-up might've made her final, gag-filled lip-sync against eventual winner Jinkx Monsoon look as easy as applying a slick of color on her luscious lips, but the franchise icon tells EW there was quite a bit of strategy involved. In a blink-a-Gia-Gunn-eyelash-and-you'll-miss-it moment from Friday's finale, Monét and Jinkx faced off in a lip-sync battle set to Katy Perry's 2017 hit "Swish Swish" — and the duel began as Monét held a tube of lipstick with Jinkx's name scrawled on it.

"Girl, I BenDeLaCreme-d the s--- out of that," Monét reveals in a nod to the All Stars 3 queen's infamous self-elimination, adding that she stealthily accomplished the feat by requesting that a production assistant bring her white nail polish to touch herself up before hitting the Main Stage, though she instead used it to improvise with her props.

Below, Monét gives EW even more behind-the-scenes tea from the AS7 conclusion, including a full explanation of what really happened during that steamy moment with Trinity The Tuck during their lip-sync, how she feels about people calling her the "robbed" queen of the season, and what the future holds for her career as an operatic singer (yes, she has multiple offers).

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Hello, Miss Gay Caribbean 2014, how are you?

MONÉT X CHANGE: Oh my God, I'm good, darling, how are you doing?

Great, now that I'm talking to you, but where is the accent today? Is it coming out?

Well, you know, it might be, get some Caribbean people on this phone, it'll try to pop out for sure. [Laughs]

Monét X Change pulls out Jinkx Monsoon's lipstick on AS7
Monét X Change pulls out Jinkx Monsoon's lipstick on AS7

World of Wonder/Paramount+ Monét X Change reveals secrets of Jinkx Monsoon's name on her 'RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 7' lip-sync lipstick.

Congratulations on a fantastic season. From the way you played the game and the strategery, to stirring the dramatic pot, you had everyone talking. In recent weeks, though, about your sensual endeavors. We need to clarify, because most of your sisters in recent weeks seem to think you're fibbing about hooking up with someone on the cast. So, who was it?

The person that it happened with, they know who they are. I'm keeping my mouth shut out of their request. It was not a fever dream. It might have been a wet dream, but it happened. All shall be revealed once upon a time, in a land close to here.

We are going to find out who it is?

One thousand percent, we will. Like a good old drag queen, I need to do it in a very ridiculous, over-the-top way.

I thought we got that over-the-top way in that lip-sync with Trinity, because you appeared to pull right behind her when she was on all fours during the "So What" performance, but they cut away! Were you doing anything more explicit?

Girl, I f---ed the s--- out of Trinity in that lip-sync. It was so fun, and as you can see by the judges' reactions, it was a very gaggy moment. At one point I stopped and looked at my watch and pulled out a cigarette and smoked it. It was a very fun bit. Lip-syncing against Trinity was lovely. I really love Trinity and she's always down to play around. It was a great lip-sync, but I'm mad that I didn't see me inserting myself into Trinity on television.

That's not an indication as to who it was?

Mmm, Joey, I didn't know that you were into twincest.

I'm only into twincest if it's you two.

It might be a little tea leaf. I wouldn't say it's the tea, but it's a little tea leaf. Professor Trelawney, a little divination.

Ru Paul's Drag Race All-Stars Season 7 Finale
Ru Paul's Drag Race All-Stars Season 7 Finale

World of Wonder/Paramount+ Monét X Change on 'RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 7'

You both have been open about the fact that you two patched things up and that there is no score to settle on this season, but I think you know this fandom better than anyone and they have their chatter. Do you agree with fans saying that this makes you the twinner winner?

No, it's literally not on my mind at all. All Stars 4 was a completely different show and season. Trinity and I went into this as equals. There was no score to settle, no "Who won this lip-sync was the true winner of All Stars 4." People should really go outside and either touch some grass or smoke some. Girl, it's not a thing. Winning this does not make me the true winner of All Stars 4.

Speaking of lip-syncs, this episode came down to several of them, notably the final lip-sync between you and Jinkx, and Jinkx emerged with the crown. I know you put your heart and soul into the game, so how did you feel in the moment, today, when you discovered the result?

I was a little gagged, because I really felt like I f---ing went in on the lip-sync. "Pound the Alarm" was one of my favorite lip-syncs, but this one? It's become my favorite lip-sync I did on Drag Race. The lip-sync bit I did at the beginning, we didn't really get to see it, but I had Shea's and Trinity's lipstick, and I pulled out Jinkx's last and I used it to put my lipstick on. That money moment was a fun, gaggy moment, and we did a little callback to queer culture and where all this s--- came from to honor ballroom. I am in no way a great voguer or catwalker, but I have dabbled in a little kiki function in my lifetime, so in this final number, I knew this is my last time ever going on Drag Race, so I wanted to bring it all back to where I discovered my queerness and drag when I would sneak into kiki functions and balls when I was 12, 13, 14…. I was super hopeful. Jinkx did a great f---ing job and I love Jinkx so much. She did the best that she could, which was great.

If you pause it, you can see Jinkx's name on the lipstick. Did you come to Drag Race prepared with those, or did you do that backstage?

Girl, I BenDeLaCreme-d the s--- out of that…. As we were leaving the Werk Room to go to the Main Stage, I was like, I should do some lipsticks. I grabbed some, and I asked a PA, "Do you have any white nail polish?" I knew not to ask for Wite-Out because they banned Wite-Out…. I did it right before we went onstage…. So now, for future seasons, white nail polish is going to be banned, too.

How do you feel about the chatter online, calling you a robbed queen? Is that helpful or detrimental to hear?

Their intentions are sweet to say that I was robbed and that I should've won the lip-sync. We've seen time and time again, sometimes they say it for no reason. I don't want people to say it to take away from Jinkx; she did great all season. I think it's less than savory to put the other queen down. It's sweet, but don't do it at the expense of Jinkx's celebration in this moment for a job well done all season.

Were you speaking as a prediction or definitively, that this will be your last time on Drag Race?

This is definitively my last. I'm done, I'm good, three times, I'm good, I'm good.

Unless it's a Best Friends season with Bob.

No, I would never do anything with Bob the Drag Queen, except the podcast.

You're going to deprive us all?

They could've done it this season.

True. One of the other things you did this season was put everyone's jaw on the floor with your opera performance, and it was bizarre to see some of the reactions to that online. Why did that strike a particular chord with you?

People had the nerve to say that I was lip-syncing, and people will get online and make up anything. They have a thought and they're like, "I know for a fact," but you don't, because I literally didn't do that. It was impossible for me to pre-record it because I switched it the episode before. The plan was to come in and do this song from my album coming up, which isn't operatic, it's R&B. But the challenge before, I was like, f--- it, I'm going to switch to sing classically…. people think I had this pre-recorded track. It was literally impossible to get done. Spoiler alert, yeah, I was singing to a track [for the arrangement] because we don't have an orchestra on Drag Race. I was singing to a recording of the song, not my vocals.

Did you consider doing this style of singing on All Stars 4 or season 10?

There was no space to do it on season 10, and on All Stars 4, no, because at that point we had two talent shows to work from…. What seemed to work was people referencing themselves, so that's why on All Stars 4 I wanted to do "Soak It Up" and sponge stuff…. this time around, I was like, let me do new music so I can post it on iTunes and people can buy it, but when I was there, I was like, f--- that girl, do the thing I went $150,000 in debt to learn how to do.

Do you have plans for an opera album?

I'm severely out of practice…. I found a new voice teacher, I've gotten offers from opera companies, which is great and fabulous, and I want to make sure I'm singing healthily to step back into the operatic machine.

Have you accepted the offers?

I've gotten two great offers to do some fun stuff that I can't really say yet, but, yes, I will be singing classical music and some opera with companies in the U.S.

What do you want people to remember most about Monét on All Stars 7?

I want people to remember what Michelle said: It rang true for me, I'm the queen of heart and soul, I'm always going to give my fans, friends, followers, and haters my heart and soul, the good, bad, ugly, indifferent, whatever it is. Sometimes I say the wrong thing, sometimes I do great things, but it's always authentically me and it's my heart at its purest form…. what matters foundationally is what your heart is made of, and that's love. That's why I always lead that way: I'm happy that's what people receive and perceive from my actions on Drag Race, off Drag Race, on Instagram, on Twitter, at meet and greets, on the stage — that's really what I'm most proud of.

Subscribe to EW's BINGE podcast for full recaps of RuPaul's Drag Race, including weekly All Stars 7 recaps and reactions with the cast, special guests, and more.

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