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The X Change Rate: Willam & Jujubee

Hot off her historic "RuPaul’s Drag Race: All Stars" win, Monét X Change brings her very own talk show to BUILD Series. This week, drag queen extraordinaires Willam and Jujubee joined Monét.

Video Transcript

[MUSIC PLAYING]

MONÉT X CHANGE: Hey y'all, it's your girl Monét, and welcome back to "The X Change Rate," a show where we double-dog-dare you to try to prove that reverse racism is a thing.

[LAUGHS]

Today is a day like any other day, where we live in the extremes. We have one of the most beloved queens in "Drag Race." Herstory, the extremely-- [LAUGHS] the extremely delightful Jujubee is here.

[APPLAUSE]

And later we're getting the hot goss on Emmys and possible "All " appearances with the infamous Willam Belli.

[APPLAUSE]

[LAUGHS]

Can we have an echo RuPaul effect on that? That would be cute. [LAUGHS] But first, let's get to the gig. Hit it.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

So over the weekend, "Black Is King" happened. And I have to be honest. I got through about half of it. Not because I didn't want to get through the whole thing, but like-- it's fierce, "Black Is King" is fierce. Let me just start by saying that. But like, at 37 minutes, I was like, oh my god, I still have a little less than an hour left. This is, like, a lot. And like, I had stuff to do. I'm going to finish it. But it was, like-- it's an hour and a half. That is a commitment. That is a lot.

But, you know, it had to stop the internet from coming for it. "Essence" magazine-- "Essence" magazine, like, the Black publication-- put out a whole article kind of discrediting it-- discrediting "Black Is King." And I feel like, I get it. We all have opinions that we want to let it, like-- let our opinions fly, let everyone know what we think. But I'm just like-- some of the points are valid, but it's just like, Jesus Christ. Everyone's just always coming at everything. It's, like, a little much.

And again, some of them are valid, but let it breathe for a minute. Let's sit with it for a second before we try to cut Beyoncé off at the knees and call her an appropriator, and a this, and a X Y Z, and a this, and a that. It's, like, a lot. And, you know, let's just relax.

And another thing going on is that y'all know I am a sucker for shade, and I could smell shade a mile away. And Hallmark-- it was shaded by Lifetime because Lifetime put out an article, and this Christmas, they're putting their first movie out with an LGBTQ lead. Now, you know this is in direct response to Hallmark with their 40 movies with no LGBTQ+ people. And is it a little performative? Sure. Am I living? Abso-fucking-lutely. Like, yes, shade those motherfuckers. Shade them into having more queer people. And at the end of the day, we winning because there's more representation. So I'm all for the shade fest. More shade, more queer people in stories. Let us get it together. And with that being said, let's get into the stories, because shit is hot, shit is popping, and I have a lot to talk about.

So boom. First up, Tamar Braxton. Now, I guess my notifications for The Shade Room have gone off. I think Patty shut them off because the shady doesn't like me to be up on the up and up. But The Shade Room put out stuff a while back about Tamar, and I'm just hearing about it. And it's honestly-- it's a little sad. If you don't know who Tamar Braxton is-- a lot of people know her. A lot of the "Drag Race" fans know her, because she had that iconic moment on the show where she made a comment and they were like, do you even watch the show, Tamar?

And Tamar Braxton-- she got really famous from the Braxton Family Values, which is a WE tv show, a reality show, about the Braxtons. Famous for Toni Braxton, obviously. But all of them can sing and be, like, a really tight family. And this show started off in 2011, and Tamar immediately became a fan favorite. People are obsessed with her personality, her persona, everything about her. It's, like, very electric. Like, we like Tamar. She's larger than life. She's vibrant, she's fierce.

And then Tamar got her spin-off with her husband. The show is called Tamar and Vince on WE as well. And if you don't know Vince, Vince you should know-- Vince, Tamar's ex-husband-- he's credited with starting Gaga's career. He was her manager. Like, he got Gaga-- so many Gs, guh-guh-guh-guh-guh-guh-guh. Gee gee guh. He, like, got Gaga popping, so he's really credited with that, for giving us Lady Gaga. And she filed for divorce in 2017.

But what I didn't know is that on July 16th, Tamar was hospitalized after she was found unconscious in her home. And, you know, her family, everyone was speculating, like, what happened? What happened to Tamar? What's going on? How was she unconscious? And apparently, she's come out as trying to commit suicide. Like, she's been so bogged down by the pressures of reality fame, and, you know, she had successful songs too-- Love and War-- [SINGS] Love, dah-dah-dah dah-dah-dah war-- like, she had some really popular songs, though. With reality TV fame, and music fame, and cameras all day long, and--

You think about these reality shows on WE. First of all, they come out with, like, 14 seasons a year. So probably the good majority of your year is having a camera in your face following you around all day long, every day, shooting scenes, this, that, and the other. It's a lot. So nearly two weeks after she was hospitalized, she's speaking out and saying that she attempted suicide after suffering pain for the past 11 years while working in the entertainment industry.

You know, she has a reality show with her family. She has a spin-off show. She has albums that have come out, which her albums have been really popular. She had a really successful song, "Love and War." (SINGING) Love, war-- I don't know the song that well, but it was a really popular hit.

And I guess a lot-- and for someone who has worked in reality TV, I can tell you, like, it is a lot. And Tamar is light years more famous than I am. But reality TV is really hard, and fans can be really fucking mean. Just go back to old episodes of this show and look through the comments. Fans are mean and nasty. It could be a lot to deal with.

So Tamar had this to say. "I was betrayed, taken advantage of, overworked, and underpaid. I wrote a letter over two months ago asking to be freed from what I believed was excessive and unfair. I explained in personal detail the demise I was experiencing. My cry for help went totally ignored. However, the demands persisted. It was my spirit and my soul that was tainted the most. Reality TV personalities have no union, no quota protection, no formal representation that protects our labor, rights, or our voices. They promise us opportunity but produce exploitation, which has only developed a poor portrayal of Black people in show business."

And this looks really bad on WE. Because what I'm getting-- what I'm surmising from this is that maybe she asked to be let go of her contract, or she didn't want to film anymore. But, you know, back when she probably signed the contract 11 years ago, 10 years ago, whatever it was, she probably signed for X amount of seasons or X amount of years, so she's probably still in this contract.

And so I'm not saying they're responsible for her attempting to take her life. But there is something there to be said. And, you know, WE tv has responded, and they will honor Tamara's request to end future work with them altogether. But they are going to still have her premiere on the show that they've recorded. It was supposed to air already, or in August, but they're pushing it to September 10.

So I guess that's a happy medium. And I mean, God forbid-- knock on wood-- oh--

[LAUGHS]

Oh, that's plastic in my wig. That's how you get the volume. Work. You know, God forbid something was to happen to Tamar-- I mean, I'm not saying it's the network's fault, but the fact that-- because maybe she recorded something that she is really afraid of seeing on TV. Who knows. But hopefully she stays healthy, and she stays safe.

So Tamar, stay good, sis. Don't let this get you down. You will get through this. You're fierce, you're strong, you're beautiful. And she also has a really big family support system that really loves her and they really care for her, and, you know. So hopefully she'll be good. But love and life to you, boo. And yeah. Reality TV can be tough. It's shady. Shady, shady, shady.

Something that's super shady-- and I'm all the way here for-- is the "Real Housewives of Atlanta." Now, y'all already know, "Real Housewives of Atlanta" is my favorite of the franchise. I think it's the best. It's the fiercest. I love that show. And sources say that this season is about to be all the way popping. Number one, there are rumors that Mo'Nique-- like, the actor, comedian Mo'Nique-- was going to be on the season. That's since been debunked, but you all know she, like, flies-- she gets buck wild. I was super excited for that. That's not happening.

But allegedly, if you all know, if you watch the show, Apollo Nida is out of jail, and it's rumored, mama, that he is going to be on the next season, like, as a cast member. So Apollo Nita. So Apollo used to date Phaedra. They were together, they separated. He was supposed to be in jail for eight years, but he only had to serve five with parole, that whole thing.

And allegedly, him and Peter, who is Cynthia Bailey's ex-husband, they're going to be the first male cast members of Housewives of Atlanta. I don't see that-- it's called the Real Housewives of Atlanta. I mean, they'll have to change the title to, like, Real House-People of Atlanta, or-- I don't know how that's going to look.

But allegedly, Apollo and Kenya have this budding romance, and that's going to be portrayed on the show, which-- girl, that will literally blow my mind. Apollo has-- Apollo has gone on saying that Kenya's ex Mark is a dickhead. Classy. And Kenya's said, I guess he's calling it as he sees it. So people are alleging that they've been flirting on social media. They've been dropping hints that that may be a storyline because Kenya and Mark are trying to work it out. But allegedly, Apollo's sneak is swooping on in, girl, and making Kenya smell the roses and give her butterflies.

If Kenya and Apollo are dating, that is literally going to make my 2020. It's already shitty, so it can only go up from here. But I hope it's true. I hope he's part of the show, and it will be so-- [KISSING] finger-licking good. I can't wait.

Please, Jesus, Lord, I don't ask for much. I asked for titties, you gave me those. And I'm just asking that Apollo be part of the season, and be with Kenya, and then bring Phaedra back next season, or the season after that. And it's just going to be just an amalgamation of pure craziness and insanity on Housewives of Atlanta, and I am all the way here for it.

What do y'all think? Do y'all think that that would be a fair story line? Kenya and Apollo getting together? After he was so mean and nasty and shady to her with Phaedra? But to be fair, he's fucking hot, and I'm-- bitch, I would be all the way down to swirl all up in Apollo's whatever. All up and through it. I'll be just swirling, bitch. Swirling. [INAUDIBLE]

The GLAAD Awards, did y'all know that the GLAAD Awards happened? Like, how did I miss that? Also, why aren't the GLAAD Awards televised like the Grammys and stuff like that? I feel like it's a big enough thing. Would y'all think so?

Anyway, the GLAAD Awards happened. And if you don't know what the GLAAD Awards are, you need to come up out of that rock that you up under because it's a really, really, really big platform that recognizes queer visibility in entertainment, and it's really fierce.

Some of the night's biggest winners-- Lil Nas X won for Outstanding Music Artist. Dolly Parton won for Best Individual Show for her Netflix show "Heartstrings," Two Doors Down, which featured, like, queer people. Outstanding Drama went to "Pose." And "Schitt's Creek" got Outstanding Comedy Series.

And the documentary "State of Pride" on YouTube-- I didn't know stuff on YouTube could win. Like, you can nominate things from YouTube? Is "The X Change Rate" going to be nominated for a GLAAD Award next year? Are we going to win? Could you imagine? Patti. I don't expect white people to celebrate my accomplishes. Accomplishments.

One of the really special moments was Chloe x Halle performed. Chloe x Halle, they performed "Do It," and they had "Drag Race" girls. They had Vanjie, Mayhem, and Naomi, and they're dressed up as the Spice Girls. No shade, Naomi Smalls, you are the winner of this challenge. She looked perfect. Her take on Ginger Spice was everything. The bump it curly hair, the outfit and silhouette-- it was good.

And then I would give-- Chloe-- is Chloe the older one? Whoever dressed up as Scary Spice. The-- the girl that dressed up as Scary Spice-- I think that's Chloe. And she was second top 'tude of the week. Like, they both looked-- and everyone looked good, I'm not shading saying [INAUDIBLE]. No one's look bad. But those two, for me-- my eyes went immediately to those two, and I was like, that looks fierce. So congratulations to them.

Another special moment happened was Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade. I have to say, they are doing such a beautiful job as Black parents with their trans daughter. And, like-- I'm not about commending people for just doing the right thing. Like, I don't get to celebrate you because you recognize that queer people are human beings. Like, that's just a given. You should know that.

But I think there is something to say about this Black family-- because we know, as growing up as a Black person, I know that the Black community can have lots of struggles with LGBTQ folk. But they're handling their daughter Zaya so beautifully, and they just really are the standard of how parents should fucking treat their queer kids. I love it.

They made some comments. Dwayne Wade went on to say, we stand as allies with the LGBTQ+ community as proud parents of a transgender child. He thanked his daughter for teaching him about the LGBTQ community and how to help other families with acceptance. And then Gabrielle went on to mention the intersection of Black Lives Matter and Black Trans Lives Matter, and she said, we are calling on all of our racial justice warriors out there to open your hearts and your minds to the LGBTQ+ community so we can empower each other to save lives.

I just love it. I get chills every time I talk about them. They're so beautiful. Dwayne and Zaya had really cute outfits. Dwayne, I don't know what the hair was doing, but everything else was cute. And Zaya looked amazing, and they're just such a beautiful family. And can y'all adopt me? I'm already giving a little Annie hair, girl. She's an orphan. Oh-- a nail. Fuck.

Miss Thing, someone people are not loving right now is motherfucking Ellen. Girl, let's-- this story is so deep, we just have to jump right on in. OK. It's so funny how someone can go from being, like, a pioneer in the LGBTQ struggle-- you know, back in the day when she had her show, when she came out as gay on her show, she got fired. She didn't work for, like, four years. Like, that was Ellen. She got a Presidential Medal of Freedom Award from Barack Obama, you know, those little cute blue medal things. And now people are like, fuck that ho. No. And it's like, damn.

So obviously, if you've ever watched the Ellen show, she has this persona of being, like, super sweet and super charming and super nice. And she's, like, walking through the audience, and she's dancing with people, and she's hip-thrusting and booty-bumping, and just living, living, living, living, living the dream.

But apparently that is not what it's like backstage. It's a complete 180, and she's a literal monster. Allegedly. So they say that she throws people under the bus. She demands the staff not to make eye contact with her and to only speak when spoken to. Patti, maybe you should listen to some of these rules. And I guess, like-- and not the catalyst because this is, like-- there have been rumors of this. Even, like, [INAUDIBLE] spoke out about it.

But in March, Kevin T. Porter, a comedian, said that he would-- he went on Twitter saying that he wanted to exchange stories about DeGeneres being-- about Ellen DeGeneres being rude, and he would make donations to the Los Angeles regional food bank. And then, like, he got over 2,000 responses from people. And some of the stories were like really petty, things like Ellen has a sensitive nose, so before you enter her office, you have to, like, chew gum in case you have bad breath, et cetera. And allegedly she got a waitress fired because she got chipped nail polish while she was serving her. I mean, I wouldn't know anything about that.

But they get more serious. God, this is a lot. So they're investigating accusations against the head writer and executive producer, Kevin Leman. And it's at the BuzzFeed article on where they spoke to 36 former employees, and they all came out and corroborated stories of Kevin being inappropriate. They said it was common for Leman to make sexually explicit comments in the office, like pointing at a colleague's pants and pointing out their crotch, or the bulge, and then asking them questions like, are you a top or a bottom? Which, again, I live in queer spaces, the majority of my career has been in nightlife, so I hear those things.

But this is not workplace humor. You're not-- like, it's just inappropriate. It's wrong. You know what I mean? And obviously, it follows the bill, the profile, of many people who get sexually assaulted, where they're, like, young, low-level interns or whatever it is, and they're impressionable, and they don't feel empowered to speak up. Because this person-- he's an executive producer on the Ellen show. Mama, he's powerful. So obviously you're not going to be like, well, he said this. So they don't feel empowered to. But now-- girl, in this day and age, all it takes is one. And mama, everyone else under that, who has ever felt anything, is like, me motherfucking too. And they are well within their rights to do so.

And Kevin said this. I'm horrified that some of the attempts at humor may have caused offense. I have always aimed to treat everyone on the staff with kindness, inclusivity, and respect. In my whole time on the show, to my knowledge, I've never had a single human resources or interpersonal complaint made about me. And I am devastated beyond belief that this kind of malicious and misleading article could be published.

Girl, if 36 people are coming out, then maybe instead of blaming everyone else, look at your motherfucking self. Also, you the head-- you're the executive producer. Of course-- human resources is probably like, girl, we are not going to work with you.

I mean, I have not worked in an office for a long time. I don't know the legalities, and who knows the politics of the office workspace. We don't know that. But we know that 36 people have come out saying, like, you have been inappropriate, sexually or otherwise. You know what I mean?

And of course, people are like, speculating that if Ellen's going to get canceled, and they want James Corden to take over the show. I don't know about James Corden, but I've seen it trending on Twitter. They're saying, like, lots of female comedians. I've heard, like, Wanda Sykes being thrown in the ringer.

I think Wanda Sykes would be a great daytime TV-- she's so, so funny. I know her back from "Fire Island." She is such a geeky on "Fire Island." She is so queer, she is such a fucking lesbian. I love, love, love her. She would be a great daytime TV show host. So that's my vote. James Corden already got a nice show. We got you, boo. You got enough going on. Let's pass it on to somebody else.

But Ellen has spoken out about it. She's saying, one day on our show, I was told everyone in our first meeting that "Ellen DeGeneres Show" will be a place of happiness. Obviously something changed, and I am disappointed to learn that this has not been the case. And for that I am sorry.

So she's kind of not taking any of the blame for it. She's kind of not speaking on any of the allegations against her, about her being mean and nasty and rude. And she's not taking at any ownership over the Kevin Leman stuff. And again, it was not her responsibility to make Kevin behave. But, you know, that behavior most likely comes from the top. You know, if you see Ellen behaving in a certain way, it kind of empowers you to behave a certain way as well. So who's to say?

Long story short, she's not being canceled. She's been renewed for her 18th season. And yeah. I don't know. This apology has given me major-- I'm giving Ellen the major side-eye. Like, you're fucking Ellen. You're giving away cars and paying for people's college tuitions and shit. And that's all you have to say? Mmhm.

We'll see where this story goes. I mean, we see in public and internet pressure can fucking move mountains. So maybe Ellen might get canceled, girl, and Wanda Sykes will be in. I'm here for it. Are you?

And the last story I want to cover is TikTok Ticky-tock. This is a very intense story. Y'all know me, I am not the legal jargon or very articulate about all this legal shit, but I'll do my best to explain it as best as possible. So for a long time, we've been hearing TikTok is supporting China, China is stealing our information. If you sign up for TikTok don't use your real name, because the Chinese government has all your information. Blah-dee-blah, blah-dee-blah, blah-dee-blah.

Well, reports from the Guardian and the Washington Post are saying that TikTok had instructed its moderators to censor videos considered sensitive by the Chinese government. And TikTok is claiming that all these allegations are not true. We do not send any information to the Chinese government. No US data has ever gone to China, ever, ever, ever.

However, there is a Chinese intelligence law from 2014 and 2017 that requires companies to assist with government investigation and hand over all relevant data without refusal. So that means, like, if you-- like, you don't have the option to say, no, we don't want to, no, we can't. If they ask for it, you have to submit it over. So that's why there's this, like, weird gray area.

And recently, Trump has said he's going to ban TikTok. All the millennials were like, oh, no, no! All the millennials are freaking out. They're like, you cannot take our TikTok. And the question is, is this legal? Can Trump do this? Kind of. It is not legal, but there is an American law that doesn't have any precedent for blocking software in that way. So it seems super unlikely that he can do that. However, the committee of foreign investment in the United States-- CFIUS-- CFIUS?-- CFIUS-- CFIUS-- they can put TikTok on the entity list that limits its commercial ties to US companies. And it doesn't need congressional approval, and it can cite any US company that does business with them.

So if TikTok is on the entity list, and you do business with them, AKA put them in your app store, AKA Apple and the Google app store, then Google and Apple would not-- they would have to take it out. Thus we won't be able to download the app. And thus, we can't use TikTok.

But I'm guessing if you already have it, you won't be able to do upgrades, any of that stuff. You know what I mean? So it will make it impossible for you to use, and they would fine Apple and Google if it is on there. So it's, like, really weird. And then Microsoft is like, word, we have entered the chat.

So now Microsoft is in conversation saying that they're looking to buy TikTok as early as September. And they see the opportunity of acquiring TikTok, and it would allow them to go toe-to-toe with Facebook. Because, you know, Facebook has that app coming out called Reels, and-- it's like Facebook and Instagram's version of TikTok called Reels. So if Microsoft has TikTok, it would be a direct competitor with the thing. I don't know.

All these-- listen, what it sounds like to me is rich people doing rich people shit, buying companies for billions of dollars that affect me in a very minuscule way. You know what I mean? I mean, I'm not a big Tiktok-er, so I'm not like, oh my God, my world is ending. But I mean, I like to use it. And I like watching very cute boys out there. One of my favorite things is Thicc Tok. Y'all know about Thicc Tok? Look up Thicc Tok on YouTube and get your life. It's beautiful.

But my whole thing with this-- I think that Trump does not have a problem with-- Trump doesn't care. First of all, we know that Trump does not care about national security, and this and that and the other. Trump's real issue with TikTok-ers is-- y'all know back a couple months ago, when he had that rally, and he was alleging there were going to be, like, millions of people have requested tickets, X Y Z, ya-ya-ya-ya.

Well, apparently, those millions of people were, like, K-pop TikTok-ers, and they were online buying out Trump rallies. So Trump was like, ooh, I'm doing so good. And then obviously, when it came time, they were trolling. None of them showed up, and Trump was looking real crazy. So y'all know his ego is so fucking gross and intense. That is the thing that, like, ticked him off and pissed him off.

So he doesn't really care about China stealing our information or whatever. It's his ego he's worried about. Also, this same group of K-pop TikTok-ers, they buy out a lot of his merch and stuff, and they do videos of them, like, burning them, or throwing them in the garbage. So that's Trump's concern. Trump don't give a good goddamn about what China has taken. He bets on the Russia. He don't care.

So that's what it's all about. And I guess I hope Microsoft buys TikTok so that we still have it. And then we can still do shady shit to Trump. So who knows. I would say we'll keep you abreast on the subject, but I don't care anymore. Moving right along.

Since season 2 of "Drag Race," our first guest has shown us that it don't just take nerve to be a fan favorite, it take heart and a whole lot of wig. Y'all, make some motherfucking noise for Jujubee.

JUJUBEE: Hello

MONÉT X CHANGE: Hello, Juju.

JUJUBEE: How are you, Monét?

MONÉT X CHANGE: You know, Jujubee, I am great. I am living my best queer purple life, as are you.

JUJUBEE: You know what is intense and insane and amazing is that I knew you were going to wear purple, because the color purple is an amazing color. So I chose to match you.

MONÉT X CHANGE: I also love your hair. This, like, Marcel coif moment, it's so sleek and chic and fierce.

JUJUBEE: Thanks. You know what, girl, when I turned 36, I said to myself, you are going to have some fierce hair. And it's the 20s, so why not?

MONÉT X CHANGE: Mmm. That makes sense. Love, love, love, that. Wait, Jujubee-- so when you were first on "Drag Race," how old were you?

JUJUBEE: 25. I actually--

MONÉT X CHANGE: 25.

JUJUBEE: I got the phone call when I-- like-- the day I turned 25. And they told me, hey, happy birthday, boom. And I was like, whoa, this is, like, the best birthday present ever.

MONÉT X CHANGE: But to be fair, when you all-- when you went on to season two, I mean-- did you think that you were going to step into this thing that would change the rest of your life?

JUJUBEE: I already knew what you were going to ask. Girl, no. I thought-- honestly, what I thought was happening is, I thought I was just going to compete to be America's next drag superstar, and that was going to be it. And I was going to go back to working at the makeup counter. You know? That's what I thought.

MONÉT X CHANGE: At Mac, because you were a Mac makeup artist.

JUJUBEE: At Mac cosmetics. And I worked at Vidal Sassoon as a receptionist.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Work

JUJUBEE: I did all of that.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Now, I have to say-- and I'm not just saying this because you're here-- in the last episode of the show-- and obviously I've marveled at your mug before-- but there's that shot of you that was coming from your left side.

And I'm just like, looking at you paint. And I was like, Jujubee is the perfect blend of, like, the drag-- like, the cut crease, and the chiseling of the cheek, and, like, making the magic, but also so soft and feminine and pretty. Then I was reading up on you and I was like, oh she worked at Mac. That makes sense. Like, that's the generation of queens that learned how to do drag but make it still soft and cut.

JUJUBEE: We just-- girl, you know what we did? We would over-blend, and then we would go back with, like, a pencil brush and just draw that fine line in. So it looks a little bit more draggy, but, you know. I like to be buffed out, girl.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Very, very Kevyn Aucoin.

JUJUBEE: Very Kevyn Aucoin, girl. Just a little-- just a little touch, a little nugget of makeup.

MONÉT X CHANGE: I always wonder-- what do you consider yourself, Jujubee? Are you-- do you consider yourself a comedy queen?

JUJUBEE: I think I'm funny. I think I'm funny. I believe that to call myself a comedy queen would be a misnomer, only because I'm not writing my own jokes. I'm just saying what's on my mind. So I don't-- do you consider me a comedy queen, Miss Monét?

MONÉT X CHANGE: Well I do-- like Michelle said, like-- her and us, the viewers, like, we're looking at you and Miz Cracker for the funny. Like, we know these two bitches on this season are the funny ones. You know what I mean?

JUJUBEE: Yeah.

MONÉT X CHANGE: So in that regard, definitely.

JUJUBEE: I mean, girl-- I'm so glad you brought up Miz Cracker. I love her so much.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Now, Jujubee, you trying to steal my homegirl, you know that's been my sister soldier for five years now.

JUJUBEE: But listen, sharing is caring. I feel like this-- I feel like I can have a little bit of-- I can have a little chip of this cracker.

MONÉT X CHANGE: [LAUGHS]

Doubling back to the comedy thing, I think that that is what made you, like, fly above the bullshit in this season. Because you were coming in from the funny,. But little Miz Cracker is funny. And she's kind of found herself deep in it at the end of the season.

But like, how do you think you navigated that? Because a lot of queens-- every queen except you, basically, kind of stepped in it a little bit at some point. But you just flew above it the whole time. Was that an active strategy of yours, or is that just how the chips fell?

JUJUBEE: Do you know-- you know, Monét, I've been working on this, this idea of remaining calm and soaring over the unnecessaries for a few years now. And I think I'm just more spiritually connected to myself than I ever was. And being in the competition, I was like, this is the goal, airline. You've got to get to the end. And then when you get to the end, there's a really big chance that you can win this crown. That's the mindset that I had. And I also went to have a lot of fun.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Yeah.

JUJUBEE: Like, I feel like it should be fun.

MONÉT X CHANGE: So is this why you waited so long? Because, you know, the rumor mill, the Twitters and the Reddit, had said that you had been asked on previous seasons, but you were like, nah, not this one. No, I don't want to do that one.

JUJUBEE: Well, I never said no. It just-- I don't think the universe-- the universe didn't want me to do it. So I had to listen to her.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Got you. I got you. And at that time, you were still working in the city, and you had-- is that when you had released "good juju 1? When did "good juju" 1 come out?

JUJUBEE: "good juju Volume 1" came out-- actually-- gosh, I'm crazy, because I can't even remember it. It came out, like, a month and a half ago.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Got it. Got it. So the follow up came out so quickly.

JUJUBEE: And then Volume 2 just came out.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Yeah.

JUJUBEE: Yeah. You know, what I wanted to do was-- my strategy behind that was to just give bits and pieces of me. Because I know that when I sit down and listen to an album, I'm unsure that I'll listen to the entire album at once. And I wanted people to know that I was interested in making music with Volume 1.

Like, you know, Volume 1 has four love songs, just written from different points of view. You know what I mean? So it's like, there's a fun one about dating. Then there is the one about, like, oh, I like this guy, he doesn't treat me like my ex did. And then there's the one that's like, this isn't a real relationship. And there's "Don't Wanna Love," which I feel like you've heard, which is something really personal. And I think that that was really good therapy for me.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Well, I think that-- in going back to "All Stars" a bit, like, going in your talent show to see-- yes, we've seen queens sing love songs, and we've seen queens sing live. But yours stuck out because it just felt super emotional. And not to discredit-- I don't want people to think I'm shady-- not to throw shade to any girls before, but you just had a connection to the song. Like, you felt like you were really singing this from real experiences that changed your life.

JUJUBEE: Oh, yeah. I mean, I wrote this song with my friend Tony and my producer, Aaron Aiken. Like, this song has gone through such a process. And it's interesting, because when you write music, you're only writing the thought right then and there. And as I grew within that year, it changed to what it is now on Volume 1. Do you know what I mean?

MONÉT X CHANGE: Yeah.

JUJUBEE: Like, it's-- and I feel like that does happen, and I let it happen, so I'm happy about that.

MONÉT X CHANGE: And then with this-- with these two albums, you are topping charts, girl. You were at, what-- you were in the number one position.

JUJUBEE: I was in-- OK, so "good juju" Volume 2 was number 1 on singer-songwriter iTunes chart. And then Volume 1 was on number 7 at the same time. So I was just sitting in my apartment, like, what is happening? What is happening? Like, I feel like I've prayed for these moments, and, I don't know. You're a blessing. You're blessing me right now. So thank you.

MONÉT X CHANGE: [LAUGHS]

JUJUBEE: You know it, too, girl.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Yeah. No, no, no. I definitely-- listen, since I first discovered the love of "Drag Race--" and then that has obviously changed my life, I am so grateful for it-- you were a personality and a person that I gravitated to immediately. when I saw that. Because season 2 was the first season I watched. And I didn't start on season 1, so I haven't watched it.

JUJUBEE: Why not, girl? Girl. It's nice.

MONÉT X CHANGE: I know. I know. I know. You know, I should have watched it in quarantine, honestly. But that's neither here nor there. But people-- you have been a fan favorite before people knew what a fan favorite was. You are just someone that people are drawn to. What is that about you? Why?

JUJUBEE: I ask myself that, too. And I feel like-- I feel like maybe I just give you everything that I am. I just-- you don't have to figure me out. I'm here, I'm present. And I think that my purpose in all of life is to just spread love and to spread light, because I feel like-- I feel like there are so many things out there in the world that dampen the greatness that we all are. Right? So I just like to leave, like, little nuggets of light here and there, and a little happiness. I think that's why people like me.

MONÉT X CHANGE: And also you're very cute. That helps a lot.

JUJUBEE: Do you think I'm cute?

MONÉT X CHANGE: Of course, girl.

JUJUBEE: You know what they say, right? Once you go Asian, that's all you be craving.

MONÉT X CHANGE: [LAUGHS]

JUJUBEE: You like that? You like that?

MONÉT X CHANGE: I do. No, that's good. Bless you. Looking at your "All Stars" 5 journey, is there anything that you regret? Is there anything that you would change?

JUJUBEE: No. No. No, and you know why? I have learned to not regret things and to not have any resentment towards things. I'm constantly trying to better myself and trying to accept the things as they are. And I feel like if we live in regrets, you're just living in the past, and there's no way to do that.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Yeah. Is there any one challenge that you felt like you should have won that you didn't?

JUJUBEE: Um-- you know, I would have loved to win that challenge that Miz Cracker won, where we were outside of Michelle Visage's free clinic. That was nice. But Cracker was really funny too. Maybe it could have been a double win.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Oh, god. You know, I mean, I ain't mad at the [INAUDIBLE], but I'm also over the [INAUDIBLE].

JUJUBEE: Monét.

MONÉT X CHANGE: You know what, you say-- you can. But a lot of people were saying I would-- which is kind of shady to me-- they were like, I wouldn't be mad this season if there was a tie this season. Like, this season feels like it's earned. I was like, [INAUDIBLE]

JUJUBEE: How did it make feel? How did it make you feel when the did that?

MONÉT X CHANGE: I was like, fuck all y'all. I got my shit. I don't care what you all think now.

JUJUBEE: Girl, congratulations. You deserve it. Honey.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Thank you. In quarantine, are you-- well-- quarantine is kind of over, but it's not really. But are you going to give us any home concerts? Like, would--

JUJUBEE: Yes.

MONÉT X CHANGE: I would buy tickets to see a live Juju performance.

JUJUBEE: Well, here's the thing. I definitely have something coming up. It's going to be on the 15th at 6:00 PM, and-- yep. It is called-- it is called The "good juju" experience. So what's happening is it's going to be on digitalpridefest.com at 6:00 PM, Saturday August 15. And it's going to be me singing all of my songs live. And you're going to see some videos of me just chatting about the process. I think it's really interesting that I'm doing this backwards, because I feel like any artist, when we make music, we do all the touring first. But we can't do that right now.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Yeah.

JUJUBEE: So this is kind of like an unplugged. A Jujubee-- a Jujubee untucked.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Jujubee untucked. I like that. I like that. All right. So is the link going to be in [INAUDIBLE]-- or we can also put it in the description box below, so people will know where to get tickets--

JUJUBEE: Of course, of course. And all the information is going to be on jujubeeonline.com. And like I said, it's on digitalpridefest.com. But that's going to coincide with something that I'm coming out with. I'm coming out with a vinyl. So that's--

MONÉT X CHANGE: Oh my God. I'm very into that.

JUJUBEE: I know. And since there's Volume 1 and Volume 2 of "good juju," it's going to be on either side.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Oh, word. That's so dope.

JUJUBEE: Yeah. I'm excited about-- I don't have, like, an actual physical form of my music. I only have everything digital. So this is really exciting for me. Like, I get to hold it.

MONÉT X CHANGE: And also, you know, it's like a new thing now that people are making these really cool, dope things to play records. I literally saw one on TikTok the other day-- it was, like, the top of a Polar Spring bottle with, like, some needle connected to a Bluetooth speaker. And I was like, how is this devil magic working? But vinyls are becoming popular again, and I think that's really dope. It's a good time in history.

JUJUBEE: I think it's so dope. Girl, you need to check out the video where they take a piece of wood-- like, a trunk-- and they slice it the same width as a vinyl, and it plays music.

MONÉT X CHANGE: No it does not.

JUJUBEE: It does. And it plays, like, a symphony. It almost-- it's eerie, because you hear the tree. You got to check it out.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Oh, yeah, I want to do that. But also, I feel like I need to light some sage in my house before I do that shit, girl. I'm gonna--

JUJUBEE: Some sage, some [INAUDIBLE]--

MONÉT X CHANGE: --nip them spirits that start popping up in my fucking house. Uh-uh. I don't know about all that. But I'll trust you with some.

JUJUBEE: I'm here to protect you.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Gimme some good Juju. [LAUGHS]

Jujubee, thank you so much for taking the time to chat with me. Thank you for-- you showed me your cat, your kitty, off-camera, and they're very cute. Maybe my kitty and your kitty and Violet's kitty can have, like, a play date or something.

JUJUBEE: You don't really know kitties, do you? You just got your kitty. You just got your kitty. OK, you got your kitty, and I told you that the kitty runs the house. Was I right?

MONÉT X CHANGE: You are 100% right. You were right. She does what she wants, when she wants. I just feed her. And because she's hairless, I wipe her booty, because she can't take care of that properly all the time.

JUJUBEE: Will you wipe my booty, too? Because I'm hairless?

MONÉT X CHANGE: [LAUGHS]

Gladly. Jujubee, thank you so much for being here, girl.

JUJUBEE: I love you so much.

MONÉT X CHANGE: And I can't wait-- I'll be at the Digital PrideFest, listening to some live Jujubee.

JUJUBEE: Please do. I love you so much.

MONÉT X CHANGE: I love you, babe.

JUJUBEE: Thank you for having me.

MONÉT X CHANGE: OK, my love. Mwah. Whoo!

Green rooms are supposed to be safe spaces, but not when you're coming off set. Here's footage of me forcing Trevor Jackson to answer questions about money at knife point.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

TREVOR JACKSON: I think we should use for currency is seeds. Because I feel like those are harvest fruits. Those could be valuable to survive. So maybe something like that.

My very first job was a little kid who was trying to find Santa Claus in a show called The Beef and Boards Christmas Show. Seven years old, and I tap danced with Rudolph slippers on.

First big purchase-- a house. That was probably my biggest purchase. But I guess my first big purchase would probably be, like, a surfboard.

Obama. No, he needs to-- he needs to be on the hundred dollar bill. OK. $20 bill. Prince. And because I love Prince.

No, I cannot. I'm going to try, though. Pounds, US dollars-- [LAUGHS] I can't.

Happiness. I'm joking. It can't buy you happiness, but it can buy you-- a car.

Love.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Ladies and gentlemen, we have one of my-- well, what I like to call a queen's queen. Like, she is the queen's queen, and one of the most controversial-- girl, the headlines. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome, Willam.

WILLAM BELLI: Hi, Monét. How you doing, girl?

MONÉT X CHANGE: What is in your hand?

WILLAM BELLI: It's a little light, so people can not put me under a bushel.

MONÉT X CHANGE: [LAUGHS]

WILLAM BELLI: Now, did Daddy Warbucks tell you that you're not allowed to swim once you get that perm? You can't go in his indoor pool.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Well, you know I don't get my hair wet. I can't get my hair wet. My mama told me I can't. Willam, how are you, [INAUDIBLE]?

WILLAM BELLI: I'm good. I'm doing. I'm finding useful ways to be productive during the quarantine. Like we all are, you know?

MONÉT X CHANGE: Yeah. Well, I mean, you are known for always being resourceful, always making content. Your Patreon is crazy. You have a super successful podcast. You have your super successful YouTube shows. Was-- coming off of "Drag Race," were you like, I'm gonna be-- like, I'm going to do this thing like that. Like, I'm going to be this mogul of your own making. Or were you like, girl, let the chips fall where they may?

WILLAM BELLI: When I was 23, I did Ryan Murphy's show, and thought I was going to be famous.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Right.

WILLAM BELLI: You know, I went from an extra to being a guest star to being recurring. Like, he wrote stuff for me. And it was such an honor, and I thought, oh, cool, I'm going to be famous now, I'm going to be on a CW show. And then I didn't work for a year. So when I went on "Drag Race--"

MONÉT X CHANGE: Including drag gigs?

WILLAM BELLI: I wasn't doing club gigs at that point.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Oh, got you.

WILLAM BELLI: But I didn't I didn't book an acting job for, like, almost a year. So when I was 29 and did "Drag Race," I knew that-- I knew what I did on the show was going to cause some controversy and get me some press and shit.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Yeah.

WILLAM BELLI: And at that point, people do reality shows and they're like, ooh, dive into the pool, swim up to the bar. I'm like, no, bitch, do laps. This is the time to work. You know?

MONÉT X CHANGE: Yeah, yeah.

WILLAM BELLI: Because you need to make that 15 minutes go to 15:01, 15:02. So I kind of-- yeah. I've kind of just been, like-- I knew it was my last-ditch chance to become what I thought I could become, or at least get closer to it. So I just tried to use it to my advantage. And every day I would wake up, do something for my career. And now it's just, like, wake up, try not to get canceled.

MONÉT X CHANGE: [LAUGHS] Cancel culture is such a big thing. I had Bunny on here recently, and she told me her opinions on cancel culture. You know, obviously you work with Bunny for years. Bunny's like, girl--

WILLAM BELLI: All those Down syndrome kids tried to come for her.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Did they?

WILLAM BELLI: Yeah. The Drag Syndrome girls. Because Bunny says the R word a lot.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Oh, God, she does. But Bunny is so irreverent. Bunny's like, I am an old-ass man, I'm going to say what old men say, and that's it.

WILLAM BELLI: You know what, Bunny said it to her in the Continental Congress, she can say it now.

MONÉT X CHANGE: [LAUGHS] So let's shift back to acting. So you were an actor before "Drag Race," and you've been an actor through and through. And let's talk about your Emmy nomination. Girl, how you feel about that?

WILLAM BELLI: Which one?

MONÉT X CHANGE: Wait, there are multiple?

WILLAM BELLI: The makeup one, which I had no business getting.

MONÉT X CHANGE: OK, wait, time out, time out. You had a makeup Emmy for what?

WILLAM BELLI: I was nominated for the-- for makeup, for doing my own face on EastSiders. Me, Manila, Marta Beatchu, and Katya, we were all nominated. The showrunner thought of that, and he was like, well, you guys did your own face-- you know, your main characters--

MONÉT X CHANGE: Gag.

WILLAM BELLI: So he got us nominated. And then the acting one was just out of left field. I didn't win, but the woman that won for Best Guest Star, the Emmy, she had all her scenes with me. In the show. So like, I feel like I contributed a little bit to her, and-- the guy that did one, he's in, like, his 70s. I got plenty of chances. I'm good. I had a cute little shirt that says shirt happens. Because I didn't win.

MONÉT X CHANGE: [LAUGHS] Willam, that is-- I mean-- so it's you, Raven, and Delta are the only three queens from the show who have ever been nominated for Emmys. And Manila now, I guess, as well.

WILLAM BELLI: And Katya, and-- but Delta won.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Delta won hers. Raven didn't win hers. Right, right, right, right, right.

WILLAM BELLI: Raven hasn't won yet. I hope she wins this year, though. Because Ru looks amazing.

MONÉT X CHANGE: He does. Ru looks so good. Do you still watch the show? I mean, obviously, [INAUDIBLE], but I listened to some [INAUDIBLE]. And Willam clearly be like, girl, I ain't listen, but I read the notes. Do you--

WILLAM BELLI: No, no--

MONÉT X CHANGE: Do you try not to watch?

WILLAM BELLI: My thing is, I watch the show. I don't watch "Untucked."

MONÉT X CHANGE: Oh. Yeah.

WILLAM BELLI: So I miss a lot of the little stuff. And honestly, I think the show, the proof of concept, is there, because Amsterdam, Canada Thailand-- they're all successful without RuPaul. So even though I may not be, like, buddy-buddy with Ru, I'm not watching it for her. I'm watching it for the girls. I'm watching it for the talent. And, like, seeing my friends and stuff. Like, RuPaul, at this point, is ancillary. So, like, I'm cool. Like, she doesn't--

MONÉT X CHANGE: Yeah.

WILLAM BELLI: She doesn't do it for me. But she doesn't need to do it for me. She did it for me for years, so, you know.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Wait, hold on. I'm asking Siri what ancillary means, because that was a big one. I'm trying to digest that word, girl. I'm joking a little bit.

WILLAM BELLI: I think it means, like, kind of like extra. Extraneous. Like when your anus falls out and you've got an extra anus. Ooh, girl, you want to see my rosebud?

MONÉT X CHANGE: [SCREAM]

WILLAM BELLI: Rosebud. Ooh, shit.

MONÉT X CHANGE: You better be in full drag, girl. You best believe I'm in a harness and a T-shirt, and that's my drag right now.

WILLAM BELLI: No, I'm about to film some "Beatdown." I'm really lucky that I live with the people that I make my videos with. My video empire of me, someone, and someone-- we all live together, and my studio is four blocks from my house. And then I've just been doing my house, Palm Springs, and my studio. That's it.

MONÉT X CHANGE: So it's also a little "Beatdown." So "Beatdown--" that was your conception. You've been doing it for, what, five-- four years now?

WILLAM BELLI: Two thousand and-- 2013, I think, or 2012.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Yeah, and it gets massive views, so people love the "Beatdown."

WILLAM BELLI: Yeah. I'm thankful people are watching, and-- my nail just fell off.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Girl, I am hoping and praying-- my middle finger on this hand is about to jump. I'm praying she stays put.

WILLAM BELLI: I have-- on my Patreon and my YouTube, I have all different kinds of videos, but on my Patreon right now, I'm doing a watch-along of "RuPaul's MasterClass."

MONÉT X CHANGE: Oh. No you are not.

WILLAM BELLI: Yes, I am. I'm not putting it on YouTube. It's only for the people on my Patreon who know-- who have a sense of humor enough that they're there and they know me.

MONÉT X CHANGE: I am subscribing right now. I have to listen.

WILLAM BELLI: I subscribe to you guys, too. I subscribe to you and Courtney. I just think that it's a fun way to look at it, because she taught me so much. I did a book report on her book. I wanted to learn, and I knew certain things were going to be in there. I knew she was going to have a Diana Ross story. I knew she was going to have her mom. But as soon as she started telling some of these stories, I could repeat them verbatim. Because like-- and when she's, like, telling people, no, don't put your hands in your pockets, they won't trust you-- like, random stuff like that, I'm just like, it's hilarious to me. She talks about the dark night of the soul. Twice.

MONÉT X CHANGE: The dark night of the soul. I don't know what that even means.

WILLAM BELLI: Whoa, she's talking about the dark night of the soul. And I was like, girl, tell us how to do contour. But it's nice, because she had Raven, and Raven lost her show twice and does her makeup now. So, like, we get to learn it from her in the last episode. I haven't gotten that far yet, but I'm going to.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Willam, Willam, Willam, Willam, Willam.

WILLAM BELLI: Some people think of me as a troll. I think of myself more as a garden gnome. You know how garden gnomes came to exist? It's because in the old days, in England, they used to pay, like, homeless people to sit somewhere on their property that they couldn't see, so they'd scare people away or tell them a riddle or something. So I'm just waiting for them to do that to me somewhere. Like, rubbing my belly.

MONÉT X CHANGE: What do you think about this past season of "Drag Race?" Not "All Stars" season 12.

WILLAM BELLI: I'm obsessed with Jaida. I love Gigi. Gigi wore some of my clothes and shoes.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Oh, did she really?

WILLAM BELLI: Mmhm. Crystal Methyd-- Gigi-- the whole, like, true Beverly Hills look, that was all mine.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Really?

WILLAM BELLI: Yeah. A couple things.

MONÉT X CHANGE: OK, I can say this. From since-- my season, season 10-- on almost every regular season and "All ," I have known girls who have worn some of your stuff. Bitch, how big is this closet that you are clothing multiple seasons of Drag Race?

WILLAM BELLI: Well, the first section is really quite small. Girl, I'll tilt up. That's the first section right there. Can you see that?

MONÉT X CHANGE: Oh my god, Willam. OK, can you just tell us approximately how many pieces you lent out for this coming season?

WILLAM BELLI: This coming-- I can look on the wall and literally count.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Oh, so you you have, like, a whole inventory list?

WILLAM BELLI: Girl, I have a sign out, because-- because of one of our friends who sometimes had stuff didn't come back, and I'd be like, where's my belt? Like, when I was trying to wear it. So now I write everything down.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Word.

WILLAM BELLI: And I get everything back. Or I charge them. Over 10 things gone between--

MONÉT X CHANGE: 10.

WILLAM BELLI: Yeah. And some of them, I'm like, you really want to wear that? Naomi already wore that, and lip-synced in it.

MONÉT X CHANGE: What? Oh, is it-- is it the green thing?

WILLAM BELLI: No, that green thing-- she wore a gold Dolce and Gabbana corset belt with it, and that was mine.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Gorg.

WILLAM BELLI: They also wore my yellow fur on the runway.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Yes, the yellow fur. She wore it with her fantastic plastic.

WILLAM BELLI: Mmhm, that little, like-- pink--

MONÉT X CHANGE: I was sure that Michelle was-- because you know Michelle is so anti-fur, I was like, oh, Michelle is going to drag this bitch for this fur. But she surprisingly didn't say anything. Which-- I was shocked.

WILLAM BELLI: Honestly, fuck Michelle Visage. Like, I don't care. Fur was around before Michelle and it'll be around after her. Is it nice to kill those animals? No. But I don't buy any new fur. I only buy thrift store fur or eBay fur.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Right. Gotcha. And now, what's up with your book, Willam? You have-- so "Suck Less." It is the title of your book and also your makeup company, or your makeup brand. Talk to us about "Suck Less." And what-- why "Suck Less" for the name of your makeup and your book?

WILLAM BELLI: I just thought it was-- I'm not trying to, like, perfect the world, I'm not trying to sell a false myth to someone. I'm not trying to make people take beauty advice from me. So I'm just trying to get people to suck less, a little bit. And glitter, and, like, advice on like how to be skinny without, like, fucking up your hair, like stuff like that.

I just feel like, drag queens-- whenever we go into the country at customs, they're always like, what do you do? And I'm like, I'm a drag queen. They're like, what is that? And I was like, well, it's like a celebrity, except we do everything better and prettier. Because, like, celebrities now, the Housewives, they branch out into, like, Margarita mix, and, you know, yoga pants, and all this stuff that drag queens can also do. We can branch out into so many different areas of media, podcasts, books, prostitution, teeth whitening. There's so many things and opportunities for us now. And I'm just trying to take advantage of all of them.

MONÉT X CHANGE: I got you. I got you. One of my favorite Willam stories is, we were at New York-- was it? Or maybe it was LA DragCon, my first LA DragCon. You had these glory hole stickers, and they-- you were attaching them everywhere. All over the floor, on people's booths, and the urinals. And allegedly, they, like, threatened to fine you, like, $20,000 if you didn't get these stickers off everywhere. Is that true?

WILLAM BELLI: They threatened to fine me $10,000.

MONÉT X CHANGE: 10,000. And that was-- but then they tried to get me for 10 for something else, too, which was immediately shut down. But the first one, I had to peel off all the stickers that I put down, which was just in my line.

The other stickers, those were from people putting them there. Because I would give them out if it was your birthday, or if you bought one, or if you were in a wheelchair, you get one on the back of your chair. I was telling people, tag it. Do whatever you want, you know? And the reason they were being so uppity that year about it was because they got fined $10,000 from the LA Convention Center due to excess glitter. If you have loose glitter anywhere, on any table in the whole thing, they can charge you for glitter cleanup. $10,000.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Well, to be fair, $10,000 is a steal, because that glitter will be here until the fucking second coming of Christ. Glitter does not go away. I get it.

WILLAM BELLI: Yes. Glitter is drag queen herpes. It does not go away.

MONÉT X CHANGE: [LAUGHS]

WILLAM BELLI: Yeah, they tried to get me, but it didn't work. And, you know, drag always finds its way to float to the top. Or reverse on the top.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Reverse on the top. Now going into this-- you know, with quarantine and corona and everything, how is your relationship with acting? Are you-- I don't know if LA is open-- like, a lot of things are open for filming in LA. I have friends that are, like, taking pictures on set. I'm like, gag. Are we going to get more movies? What's the tea?

WILLAM BELLI: Right now I'm writing stuff to hopefully produce when stuff can be more produced. I don't-- honestly, like, everything's, like-- it feels like the town is operating at 10%, if that makes sense. It's deserted still on the streets. I've had, like, 10 friends move. I don't know where it's going. I'm just trying to keep my nose down and focus on myself and keep all that out there, because if it gets in here, then it gets under my lace front, and I have to, like, clean it, get those thoughts out. So I have no answers. People are asking me on Cameo, like, will you give me advice on how to get through the quarantine? And I was like, yeah, save your money and stop spending it on a stupid drag queen.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Hello? Girl, sometimes these fans are, like-- I'm very grateful, and I'm happy people are buying and stuff, but like, my merch shop is, like, booming. I'm like, how are people spending their money on merch? They should be, like, holding onto their coins, girl. Who knows where this shit is going to be over? It's so crazy.

WILLAM BELLI: Agreed.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Yeah. Yeah. Nuts.

WILLAM BELLI: But buy my merch.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Right? No, I mean, no, I don't want to stop you. But I'm just saying.

WILLAM BELLI: I think people are buying more merch because everybody's eaten during the quarantine and they just need to get a bigger size now. I gained, like, 10 pounds, for sure.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Oh, girl, I don't want to put a number on what I fucking gained. I'm so embarrassed for myself. But that's neither here nor there.

WILLAM BELLI: I think that's the hair. There's so many bundles.

MONÉT X CHANGE: I know, right? It's like-- I got this from Sara Andrews Wig Takeout, and I'm like--

WILLAM BELLI: 1-800-TAKEOUT, yeah, she does good hair. I have a couple from her.

MONÉT X CHANGE: So good.

[INTERPOSING VOICES]

WILLAM BELLI: What?

MONÉT X CHANGE: I know that you're the human hair girl.

WILLAM BELLI: Sometimes. But I do synthetics, too. I found out the easiest way to transition from synthetic to human hair is you just get a bunch of guys to nut in this synthetic wig, and then it's, like, half-human.

MONÉT X CHANGE: [LAUGHS] So I guess I have some-- I guess I have more human hair wigs than I thought I did.

WILLAM BELLI: God is good.

MONÉT X CHANGE: All the time. Willam, listen, before you go, I want to say thank you, thank you, thank you for having me be part of the spelling bee that we did. Honestly, "Willam & Alaska" asked me. I said yes, it's fucking "Willam & Alaska," absolutely. And it was so fun. We raised some great money for--

WILLAM BELLI: Like 20 grand.

MONÉT X CHANGE: 20 grand playing a spelling bee with idiots like Mariah and meatball. It was hysterical, it was so fun.

WILLAM BELLI: But weren't you on the winning team?

MONÉT X CHANGE: Was-- no, y'all won.

WILLAM BELLI: Were you blue?

MONÉT X CHANGE: I was-- I was team blue, with Alaska.

WILLAM BELLI: Oh, that's Alaska's team. Oh. Yeah, you didn't win.

MONÉT X CHANGE: No, no no no, we were team pink.

WILLAM BELLI: Yeah I'm going to leave meeting. You didn't win.

MONÉT X CHANGE: [LAUGHS]

WILLAM BELLI: You did good, though. Y'all should have won. But that bamboozlement at the end--

MONÉT X CHANGE: The bamboozlement, girl.

[INTERPOSING VOICES]

WILLAM BELLI: --Sasha did it to Shay. It's fair.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Is it still available to watch? So people can donate still?

WILLAM BELLI: Yeah. There's a link on the YouTube, I think. Or somewhere-- if you go to Race Chaser, there's links for it. And we're still donating-- the teaser that I put up for it on the Patreon-- the money from that Patreon video-- because you know how it's paid by the video-- that's also going to glitz, too. So like--

MONÉT X CHANGE: Word.

WILLAM BELLI: I was a little surprised because I asked a bunch people to do it. You were top of the list, you and Bob. But there were other people that said they would, and then they didn't, like, call back. And I was like, what else are you fucking doing? Someone winners from the show. And I was like, if you can't get it together now--

MONÉT X CHANGE: Girl.

WILLAM BELLI: Like, I realize I've always been an internet girl. I've always been that internet thing. So like, for me right now, it's just, like, business as usual without the club gigs.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Yeah. Yeah.

WILLAM BELLI: But like, the girls that aren't adapting and that are refusing to move forward with the drag how they can right now-- I mean, I'm glad they're being trained and they have their beards and stuff, but like, give us what we want. Give us the drag.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Yeah, girl. And especially for charity, like-- now more than ever, I feel like it's such a great time to give to charity, whether it's Black Lives Matter or queer causes, like-- girl, it was, what, an hour and a half of my time, you know what I mean? And you're getting in drag. Think of other shit you can record so that you're not wasting your-- you know, whatever people's excuses are. Just, like, think of other shit to do. Make contact.

WILLAM BELLI: Yeah, and there's so much stuff to do that if you can't find something to do, I don't know, man.

MONÉT X CHANGE: This is a question I've always wanted to ask you, Willam. We'll leave it here. Is there a reality you could ever see yourself going back to compete on "Drag Race?"

WILLAM BELLI: Compete? No.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Never? Like, there is nothing-- what if they were like, we're doing a million dollar prize, and we want you back for "All Stars" 10 or some shit? Would you go back?

WILLAM BELLI: You know that-- when you sign up for a reality show, you give away power to control your life, and the story line, and all that. I was able to do it my season really well. If you watch anytime that I win something, which was, like, five times on my season-- three minis, two mains--

MONÉT X CHANGE: Not to brag.

WILLAM BELLI: I keep a total straight face. I don't crack at all. It's, like, sociopathic. But I wanted to give them zero editing options. So--

MONÉT X CHANGE: Really.

WILLAM BELLI: I like to be in control a lot, of my own, like, tea. And I know that they could ruin me with one stroke of an editing pen. And they have no reason not to. So I kind of just, like, make a joke, jump along. Like, people were asking me about RuPaul during my Emmy stuff, like when I was campaigning. And I was like, RuPaul should have been nominated for an acting Emmy, because she acts like she likes most of us. And little things like that. Just, like, a quick button, and then we move on. I don't think I ever want to work with World of Wonder again, though. But a lot of great people work there.

MONÉT X CHANGE: I mean, I've been lucky. I've been one of the girls that have had really good experiences with "Drag Race." But I do acknowledge that some girls don't have those experiences. And, you know, you can't take that away from people. That's what people experience. And you have to allow people to experience that. So I got you there.

WILLAM BELLI: Honestly, though, I deserve the hate from them. I came into their show, broke a bunch of rules, tried to get kicked off, wasn't playing in fairness or the spirit of the show, and then eventually forced Ru's hand to kick me off. But like, why would they be mad? I gave them good TV. So I don't think I will ever do "All Stars" at this point.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Got you. Well, Willam--

WILLAM BELLI: But I also don't need to. Everything that they asked me to do-- bitch, "Star Is Born?" "All Stars." And you see what they did to Shannel. And she was in "Star Is Born," too.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Yeah, Miss Shangie. I love Shangie. She's so great.

WILLAM BELLI: She's a Shangie baby.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Miss Shangie. Willam, thank you so much for stopping by.

WILLAM BELLI: Of course.

MONÉT X CHANGE: You are never one short of words, and you are never one to not give your opinion, and I love you for that.

WILLAM BELLI: Girl, I'm a thesaurus.

MONÉT X CHANGE: OK, listen, make sure y'all catch Willam on the Beatdown. His Patreon is popping, his podcast is popping. Willam, thank you for being here, bitch.

WILLAM BELLI: Of course. I love you, my diamond crown queen.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Love you, babe.

WILLAM BELLI: Bye.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Woo!

Guys, that's it, girl, on the episode. I feel like we're at 60 episodes. What are we going to do for 100? Should we do, like, something fierce? Hopefully by 100 we're back in the studio. I mean, it's kind of unlikely right now, but I hope we're back in studio. And we can do, like, a big party, a big celebration, and whatever. But we're well on our way.

Thank you guys for always watching and sticking up for your girl Monét. I'm happy with this hair, even though it's fucking sweating the whole time. My fan died because Patti didn't charge it.

[WHIRRING]

[LAUGHS]

Until next time. Thank you all for watching. And remember to always keep your currency in check. Peace.