New Jersey pageant queen Crystal Envy tumbled on home after Friday’s episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race. She spoke to Newsweek about her perfectionist tendencies, confronting her vulnerability and who she hopes will win it all.
“I’m most proud of the art that I got to showcase, because everything I showcased was exactly 100% me,” Crystal told Newsweek‘s Parting Shot Podcast with H. Alan Scott. “It was what I do best.”
Friday’s episode featured a Drag Race staple challenge “Snatch Game,” where the Season 17 queens tried their hand at celebrity impressions in hopes of evoking big laughs from host RuPaul. In front of legendary Drag Race alum Alyssa Edwards, in a guest appearance as a judge, the contestants competed as their interpretations of iconic personalities like Eddie Murphy and Trisha Paytas, as well as creating their own original characters like Miss Bigfeet and Baby Cupid.
Crystal chose to emulate Nicole Richie, The Simple Life reality TV star and daughter of singer Lionel Richie. “She has that sense of dry, cutthroat humor kind of like me, so I live for that,” Crystal told RuPaul during the episode. Unfortunately for Crystal, the judges thought her imitation left a lot to be desired in the jokes department. “She chose the route of zero punchlines,” judge Michelle Visage said during the episode.
On the runway, the queens showed off their nail-inspired looks for special guest judge Quinta Brunson of Abbott Elementary fame. Crystal embraced her wild side for her runway look—donning a werewolf-inspired ensemble with beastly claws to match and even letting out a few howls for the judges.
Though the judges thought her outfit was “super fun,” it wasn’t enough to keep her from the bottom two, where she joined Lana Ja’Rae in a lip sync battle to Selena Gomez’s “Hands to Myself.” Following an acrobatic performance from the two queens, RuPaul asked Lana to stay and for Crystal to sashay away.
“I feel very grateful that I have gotten to showcase exactly what I do amazingly, but mostly, I’m devastated,” Crystal told Newsweek. “I think if I could have just skated on by in Snatch Game, I would have definitely excelled in a lot of other challenges.”
“I definitely don’t think it was, personally, the worst that day. I just don’t think it was funny,” Crystal continued, referring to her Nicole Richie impression. “In this specific challenge, the critiques, I think, were extremely valid.”
Crystal’s expertise lies in being a pageant queen, not necessarily impressions—so making RuPaul and the judges laugh is no small feat. “So many queens say that Snatch Game is one of the hardest challenges to do, because it encompasses so many different talents into one little segment,” she added.
RuPaul challenged her during the episode to open up and “let loose,” ridding herself of the serious, perfectionist attitude she has showcased throughout the show—something she is no stranger to. “I’m very self-aware of that trait that I possess. It is something I struggle with in my day-to-day life,” she told Newsweek. “I struggle with letting the world fully see the inside because that’s hard. It’s generally hard to completely be vulnerable and be super in tune with your emotions and feel those emotions fully.”
Though Crystal’s time on the show was cut short, she’s proud of what she accomplished. Whether it was scoring in the top two during the talent show, almost winning the “B**** I’m a Drag Queen” music video challenge or helping her fellow queens by pretending to be a tumbleweed, she’s glad to have shown fans of the show who she is.
“That’s who I am. I’m a silly, stupid person who will do everything I can to make sure I look amazing,” Crystal said. “But I’m also going to uplift my sisters, I’m going to help all my sisters and I’m going to act a fool in the background and roll around on the floor because that’s crazy, that’s funny.”
Going forward, Crystal hopes to expand her YouTube channel with a new series centered around painting drag queens from the show, possibly starting with her friend and eliminator Lana Ja’Rae. For who she thinks will win this season, she’s rooting for Lana or her “little effervescent sister” Jewels Sparkles. “Listen—crystals and jewels look great together,” she said.
“You’re not coming to a drag show to see me do Nicole Ritchie in Snatch Game. You’re coming to see me look sickening,” Crystal told Newsweek. “You’re coming to see the full Crystal Envy diamond experience.”
The post Eliminated Drag Race Queen Laments Early Departure, Credits Lack of Vulnerability appeared first on Newsweek.
