RuPaul's Drag Race winner Sasha Colby's nearly nude lip-sync was 'f--- you' to transphobes: 'I wanted them to see'
The world is officially in its Sasha Colby Era.
The Hawaiian goddess — affectionately dubbed "Mother" by fans throughout RuPaul's Drag Race season 15 — was officially crowned as America's new Drag President by RuPaul on Friday night's grand finale, and she gave her first State of the Union address to EW's Quick Drag podcast in an exclusive coronation interview (below).
After performing an electric solo lip-sync to the original tune "Goddess" (while dressed as a slinky snake — and later a sexy Medusa — slithering through the Garden of Eden), Sasha squared off against Anetra in a smackdown for the crown that saw her strip away layers of elegant clothing to reveal her nearly bare body underneath. And the Los Angeles-based Miss Continental pageant winner tells EW that was no coincidence.
Read on for Sasha's first interview as the RuPaul's Drag Race season 15 winner, including a preview of what's next in her career, how she prepared for her finale performances, and why her latest TV appearance was a "f--- you" to those pushing anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation.
Mettie Ostrowski 'RuPaul's Drag Race' season 15 winner Sasha Colby for EW.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Congratulations! You might be the first person to win Drag Race while naked. How does that make you feel?
SASHA COLBY: Exactly how I wanted to be. It was a specific choice to be naked in these times. I wanted them to see what they're trying to eradicate. Because they're probably eradicating it because they're attracted to it. The only way you can feel upset with something is if it evokes a strong feeling in you. Usually that feeling is lust hidden under hate. That's what they're uncomfortable with. As a trans woman, I still get clocked. I walked through New York City yesterday and was called a man. It wasn't because anyone else thought I looked like a man, it's because someone [who] got attracted to me got the dirt that I was trans, and that made them feel so uncomfortable that they had to say I'm a man. Every time they do that is them showing their own cards.
You were open about your religious background on the show, you had the Goddess imagery and song, the Adam and Eve theme for the lip-sync, I assume those were conscious choices, too?
I can't deny the fact that I was brought up religious. It was confining but gave me a good moral background and lot of tools to be a good human to other people…. [The imagery] made sense, because I always talk about for numbers, you have to have a beginning, middle, and end. Something that connects you. You have to believe your performance if you want anybody in this audience to believe it. You have to sell it. Everything I showed you in this finale is a different interpretation of the goddess…. Even this burlesque goddess, this hyper-glamorous, divine feminine, it gave me glossy Ziegfeld Follies, Esther Williams, Hedy Lamarr, I wanted to tap into the fact that I really haven't been Sasha Colby. I've been "Mother" most of the season, and I've never done Brunch Sasha Colby, butt-ass-naked, getting tips, and this finale was me being butt-ass naked in my most comfortableness, which is my skin!
I realized today that you're the first winner of American Drag Race to have also won Miss Continental. What kind of validation is that for you?
It makes all my dreams as a child come true. Watching Continental and being able to accomplish it, and then watching [Drag Race] while doing my career simultaneously, that was the most overwhelming thing that happened…. You accomplished the goals, you set your mind to something, and you finished it, and you finished it well and people are proud of you. With this legislation and everything happening, for me to represent Drag Race and such a huge conglomerate like MTV and be exactly what [conservatives] want to eradicate is so powerful. I understand the eyes on me, which is why I wanted to be naked. I wanted to normalize this trans body!
MTV Sasha Colby wins 'RuPaul's Drag Race' season 15
Your speech was moving, when you dedicated your victory to trans people of the past, present, and future. Why was that message important for you to say on this platform, and who do you hope heard it the loudest?
I hope the allies, actually, heard it the loudest and are proud to defend us and are passionate to defend us…. It's such an amazing, humanizing thing to be able to show that your little thing that makes you happy can affect so many people. As far as the message of what I want to say with me being here is, I have to be not selfish about it. If you think you want this too much, it's for me, it's my goal, I need to win, it gets watered down. I need to check myself and have these pinpoints of, it's bigger than me. I get the reward of having my life goal accomplished, but this has been bigger than me at this point, in this political climate. I told myself, while doing the finale, that this wasn't trying to win, this was me showing these people that want to silence us and put us down and — for lack of better words — say 'f--- you' to all of them.
You told Ru you wanted to act and have your own show. What irons do you have in the fire?
I'm loving diving into music, for myself as a stage performer, as a drag performer, in order for me to get a bigger audience and have people come and watch me, my magic is on stage. I need to validate it by having great music and telling my stories, because that's the thing that made me succeed to this point. Acting has always been deep in me.... I would love to have my own one-woman show, I'd love to host red carpets, even doing something along the lines of my Charo interview, interviewing celebrities.
You're one of the only queens I can remember, during the season, where people regularly said they can see you as Ru's successor. How do you feel seeing that — because Ru clearly sees it, too.
Ru's definitely not trying to give me her job! The fact that I get a RuPaul seal of approval is exactly why I wanted to join the show. Win, lose, or draw, what I wanted was a long, thriving career. The way I saw myself getting there was getting a stamp of approval from RuPaul. Not only has she done that — crowned me — but she saw the whole me in filming. You get nervous, you don't want to meet your idols, but someone so special with such a long career, to see the greatness in you, it'll take you miles.
Let's talk about specifics of the lip-sync and stripping down. What was the significance of having the rod that you pulled out to reveal yourself under the coat?
I made more than enough costumes to maybe switch when it was needed, but things fell into place…. I wanted to take up the whole stage. No shade to anybody next to me. It's actually an old burlesque routine that I've seen by this amazing burlesque star, her name is Immodesty Blaize, she's British, she looks like Sophia Loren, she did that. I sat on this for about 15 years. We were going to do it for Continental, but it wasn't right. We ended up finally being able to use it for this. I'm a Millennial, so it's everything I've saved for the last 15 to 20 years. I was able to make all my Pinterest boards come true. You never saw me completely naked, fully in love with my trans self, and that's what I wanted to show in this last hurrah.
Did the performance change at all based on who you were going against in the finale?
No, whoever it was, it was going to be exactly what I was going to do. I was performing with girls that are 10 years younger than me, they're boppers and jumpers and all that, and I knew I could sit in my experience…. They can do whatever they need, whatever flips Mistress, Luxx, or Anetra were going to throw out, I was just going to meet them with stillness and grace.
I love that we saw flashes of Kerri Colby in the audience — Kylie Sonique Love as well, and we know you're also very close with Sasha Velour. Sasha and Kylie had amazing lip-syncs in their finales. We know you're the queen of lip-syncs, but did you consult with them?
Absolutely not. I didn't talk to anybody about this. I needed it to not be tainted with anything but what I needed to say. I wanted to make them all proud.
Has Kerri called you yet?
I don't know, I haven't been able to look at my phone! But of course my daughter and all of my kids have messaged me many times to wish me good luck, I just can't wait to see all of my friends react to this.
I see you tearing up as you're thinking about them.
I'm part of a tribe, I'm part of a whole team, I'm so lucky to be the spokesperson for the love that we have for this art, and it's just so nice to see all my friends stop their whole lives for years, to help me achieve my dreams, and all they wanted was just for me to succeed and have fun today, and I am. It's so amazing.
Mettie Ostrowski 'RuPaul's Drag Race' season 15 winner Sasha Colby for EW.
We talked about individual interests, movies, acting, the importance to this platform, but what do you want to do with the title? What's next?
Now that I'm America's Next Drag Superstar, it's my responsibility to be a beacon of light and hope that Ru has been to so many people throughout the years. I got to be her little radiator of light, her furnace of inspiration for little kids who want to put on a wig and lock themselves in their bathroom and play dress-up because they feel safe.
Anything else you want to say?
If anything, I just want to say thank you to Team Sasha Colby, because you have good taste!
This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.
Subscribe to EW's Quick Drag podcast for recaps of RuPaul's Drag Race, including reactions with the cast, special guests, and more.
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