RuPaul's Drag Race star Jiggly Caliente undergoes leg amputation after 'severe infection'
RuPaul's Drag Race alum Jiggly Caliente has undergone a life-altering surgery following a major health emergency.
The 44-year-old star, whose real name is Bianca Castro, had most of her right leg amputated after being hospitalised with a "severe infection", her family confirmed in a statement shared to social media.
'The family of Bianca Castro, known to many as the beloved drag performer Jiggly Caliente, is heartbroken to share that over the last month Bianca has experienced a serious health setback,' the message began.
'Due to a severe infection, she was hospitalised and, as a result, has undergone the loss of most of her right leg.'
Jiggly, who is also a judge on Drag Race Philippines and appeared in the FX series Pose, will be stepping back from public life for the time being, her family confirmed.
'She will not be appearing on the upcoming season, nor will she be participating in any public engagements for the foreseeable future,' her family added. 'Her recovery will be extensive.'
They continued: 'At this time, we kindly ask for privacy for Bianca and her family as they navigate this difficult journey together. While Jiggly concentrates on healing, we invite her friends, fans, and community to uplift her with messages of hope and love on her social media channels.'
Jiggly's family and drag house also expressed their gratitude for the "continued outpouring of support, strength, and prayers."
Since the announcement, members of the drag community and fans have flooded her feed with love and well-wishes.
Drag Race star Marina Summers commented: 'Sending all love to you and your family! We are here for youuu!' while Jujubee added: 'I love you so much. Can't wait to see you again'.
Manila Luzon wrote: 'Praying for you, sister.'
Jiggly first rose to fame in 2012, placing eighth on Season 4 of RuPaul's Drag Race, and returned for All Stars Season 6 in 2021.
She came out publicly as trans in 2016 and has since been vocal about embracing her identity and body.
Speaking to Xtra in 2015, Jiggly reflected on an earlier hospitalisation that led to lifestyle changes.
'I had a health scare two years ago and I ended up in the hospital, so ever since then my eating has changed,' she said. 'Now I love mashed potatoes, but I don't necessarily eat them with fried chicken all the time anymore, you know?'
She added: 'It came to a point where I said, 'I'm not the skinny, gorgeous girl. I'm the big gorgeous girl. Get it!' There's a role for everybody and my role is the big, sexy girl.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Michelle Williams and Jenny Slate on playing best friends in ‘Dying for Sex': ‘It was love at first sight'
Talking to Michelle Williams and Jenny Slate, it's hard to remember that they haven't always been best friends. They hug, they finish each other's sentences, they check in with each other to make sure they're on the same page. While mercifully they haven't endured what their characters on FX's Dying for Sex had, it's clear the experience of playing Molly Kochan and Nikki Boyer has bonded the two actresses closely. The limited series, which was created by Liz Meriwether and Kim Rosenstock, chronicles Molly's (Williams) journey of self-discovery after she's diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer — with her best friend, Nikki, at her side through it all. Here, Williams and Slate share with Gold Derby the experiences of filming such a gut-wrenching series, the toughest scenes they faced — and why it's a "master class in orgasms." More from GoldDerby Seth Rogen on taking big swings with 'The Studio': 'Are people just going to think this looks insane?' 'Disclaimer' star Leila George on how she landed 'the best job of her life' Emmy experts predict Drama Series race: 'Severance' out front, but watch out for 'The Pitt' Gold Derby: How are you feeling about the success of the show and the response to it? Jenny Slate: I feel very glowy about it. I feel happy. I feel happy for every single person who worked on it. I feel happy for Nikki and Molly, the real people. And also relief. When you do something you really care about that's a little bit of a tightrope, it's a big relief. Michelle Williams: Relief first. You truly have no idea how it's going to be received. And your experience of making it doesn't always correlate to an audience's desire to see it. Which is why you have to really have your own goals for yourself in mind, because you can't control or predict or even plan for an outcome, and so you really have to be comfortable with what you personally take away from it and your personal experience of making it. Because you can't control how it's received, but what you can try and pay attention to is the experience of 120 people that are united for a finite period of time towards a common goal. You can try and have some safeguards in that experience. So in order to control my anxiety about how it's going to be received, I really just try and focus on how is this workplace for 120 people? Do they feel safe? Do they feel respected? Do they feel like their voices are heard? Do they feel included? Are they well-fed? Are they rested? Are they getting their needs met? So that's where I focus, and then when something like this happens, I just breathe a huge sigh of relief, and then just walk in gratitude. SEE'Dying for Sex' reviews: Michelle Williams limited series is 'raunchy,' 'horny' and ultimately 'heartbreaking,' say critics I know it's just acting, but it does feel like you're best friends in real life. How did you create your chemistry? Slate: It did bleed. It did roll over into real life. We luckily do enjoy each other very much, and became real friends. It's weird to say it, because of course, we had to learn about each other and learn our lines and prepare our scenes, but that crackle of connection was there, which is really exciting and wonderful. It's everything. Williams: When we first met and Jenny walked out of the room, there was no conversation. It really was love at first sight. There was chemistry and kismet and karma all rolled up into one, and that was it. We were going to be together forever in these roles and onscreen. Our children are going to go to school together next year. It all continues. Slate: Although when I left the room, I was like, 'Was that what I think it was?' I didn't know yet whether or not I would feel like when Anne of Green Gables is put on trial and she doesn't know if she'll get to stay, What did it mean to you to see that representation of female friendship on screen? These two go through an incredible journey together, and they're always each other's person. Williams: What it really speaks to is how passionate female friendship really is, and that it's much more of a love relationship than a friend relationship. It's not a casual thing. It's a life-sustaining thing. We both come to it from our own best friendships, and we know what those have meant to us over the years. And so to see this brought out and made central in a storyline was something that we had both had experience with, and both wanted to make larger. Slate: The ease of being beloved with a best friend, not questioning that, maybe wanting to know what they see, or maybe wishing that you could always feel in yourself the way they feel about you, I feel it with my best friend in my life. I think it's really important again and again to show ways of being beloved and primary with someone else that don't have to do with anything but allowing the most intimacy and the most change possible. It's such a lovely thing to put at the center of a story, and it felt so good to be in that pair in our scenes. SEE I would imagine you both listened to the podcast. What did you take away from it? Williams: I did. I listened to it a couple of times. At first, I just wasn't entirely sure why this thing was affecting me in the way that it was. I didn't know what kind of spell it had over me and why I could not even speak about the relationship between these two women without crying. And I was like, what has happened to me? What have they done to me? And that's really why I wanted to make the show. I was like, I have to figure out what this emotional core is that's affecting me, that's affecting Jenny, that's affecting Liz and Kim, and maybe it's just the four of us. But then when Rob [Delaney] signed on, I was like, "Well, it's affecting Rob." And then Jay [Duplass], and I was like, "Well, it's affecting Jay." I was like, "Well, maybe we're just a handful of weirdos that think this is right on." Turns out we're all a handful of weirdos, because the show is having this miraculous reach. What conversations did you have with the real Nikki? What did you want to ask her, and what did you take away from those conversations? Slate: Nikki really is very warm. She's giving. She's an open book. She doesn't appear to be scared to speak about her experiences. She's very respectful, like, "I don't want to say something sad to you, in case it will make you sad." I think she has a lot of respect for her own wide variety of experiences, but I asked her about how her grief felt when we started. It was the five-year anniversary of Molly's passing, but in the grand scheme of things, this is not a long time, and she shared what it feels like for her, and that it was kind of a wave form. Some days, she just feels Molly's spirit with her, and she feels they're always together, that they're always with each other. And some days, she said she does feel more of a sinking sadness, the weight of it. I asked her a lot about how she expresses anger. Because I do express anger in a more weird, repressed, withered way than in my life, than Nikki on our show does. Williams: It's so hard to get anything made ever, and so I think we were all kind of like warming our hands by the fire of this unlikely gathering. It was really a space of allowing trust, sharing, collaboration. It was not a, "Here's how it was, sit down and let me tell you a story, listen to me and do as I say." It was an honoring of these two women and their friendship, an honoring of how each of them took care of each other, supported each other, an honoring of this group of mostly women coming together, being given this opportunity to make something in a place, at a studio, in this moment in history. When you're on a set and you look around and you see this many women, you're like, it's hard to get here and to be given leadership. And so I think we were all in deep regard for this space that had opened up for all of us to collaborate and be our best selves at work. SEE Talk about working with Liz and Kim. How did you work with them to find the right tone for the show? Williams: You know, I kept asking them that, "What's the tone? What's the world I am inhabiting? How do I fit into this?" And then I realized, like, "Oh, the tone is Liz. It's Liz's tone." Slate: It's just watch her. It's watch her walk around and say stuff. It's such a funny combination. Williams: And that the tone is sometimes atonal, the tone is sometimes not harmonious. The tone is a clash. Don't be afraid of the clanging that sometimes life makes. It's possible for all these things to be happening at once. That's life. Slate: She and Kim both came from the theater, they're playwrights to start. When you get farther into Dying for Sex, and Molly is unlinking, it gets just so much more dreamy, theatrical. It has the comedy of people who really understand how to write hard, great, good jokes, and then also people who come from environments where it pays off to be experimental and admitting that we all have a psyche and that's really driving the rig. Flying penises! Williams: That was really a moment for me, when that script came in. You don't have all the scripts when you sign on, so it's a lot of surprise. Another script has landed — you're like, "Wow, I wonder what's gonna happen next." When I got flying penises, I was like, "This is the right show for me!" Slate: Wild, it really is wild. Michelle's dance — when Molly really finally feels her own forgiveness and power and everything else moving through her and that that becomes so physical. Michelle's dance is so incredible that is not, in my opinion, normal for TV. I have never seen that before, ever. And Michelle is one of the performers as a fan that I know will offer me something new that I haven't seen, and why I've always been eager to watch her work. What was the most challenging scene for each of you? Slate: I was really afraid in the scene where Molly is intubated. As myself, I really was uncomfortable with the medical equipment, really, and as much as I could put that into the performance, I remember feeling almost queasy to have to do it. And then in the scene where Molly is reading her notebook to Nikki in the bathroom, that story is, first of all, a true story, and not just true for Molly, but for so many people, and I found it to be very hard. In the scene, you need your levels, you need nuance. If I could choose, I would cry much louder and leave. It was very hard, and it was so beautifully read, and we needed quiet in that small bathroom, and I knew what the ending of the scene was. I'm so grateful for that scene. It's one of my favorite performances I've been able to be a part of. But it did break my heart a bit. Williams: I don't know what I would say was the hardest. Everything that happens is coming from that place, from that story. And so all of the scenes feel like they carry the seed of that. There's not really an easy day. Slate: Lots of beautiful, fun, worth it, filled with energy days, but no easy ones, I'll give you a chance to compliment each other. Michelle, talk about a scene of Jenny's where she just nailed it, and then Jenny, talk about one of Michelle's scenes. Williams: It would be impossible. It's everything. It's not just everything that you see; it's everything that you don't see. It's every single take, and they only use one. But that doesn't mean that there was only one good one, or one crackling one. There's just a lot of different ones. And this is the one that they chose to service the flow of the entire piece. But when you're really in the ring with somebody, I don't think that we were ever in a place where we were watching each other. It was every moment of every take of every scene, full commitment, full absorption, full integrity, full brain, full wit, full heart. It is like an onslaught of talent and commitment and bravery, and that's unwavering, so I couldn't pick nor was I ever in a place observing like that. Slate: That's the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me, and I'm so glad it was filmed! (Laughs.) I didn't get to see it on the day, but watching the sequence of Molly's different orgasms and the surprise, exhaustion, shock, the physical comedy was just like, oh, it reminded me of why I first wanted to see comedy and do it like it. It was so refreshing and funny. I laughed so hard and loudly, and I just remember being like, whoa. I've never seen that before. I've never seen it from this performer. I've never seen it in general, these orgasms are crazy, They're so funny. And like to see a character react to her own expressions of pleasure, but like shock. It is like a master class in orgasms. SEE'I cried a lot': Rob Delaney on the heart and humor in FX's 'Dying for Sex' — and Neighbor Guy's kick in the 'zone' The show is about death, it's about sex, it's about abuse, it's about cancer, it's about friendship. What do you want audiences to take away from it? Or is it all of the above? Slate: I guess what I've thought a lot about during filming and since, is my own fear of stasis, and that I thought I felt very threatened by the idea that, what if? What if something happens to me that's either too good or too bad, and I don't change anymore because I'm clinging to something that's already occurred. That fear just used to kind of mess with me. It didn't really have a greater function. And that is upsetting in itself, and I think that what Michelle performed so beautifully is Molly's really difficult decision to even admit to a wall or a stopping point or stasis and how gratifying it is to take oneself through and reject the idea that something gigantic that happens to a person negative or positive is so large that would block the entryway to any more change or progress. I want people to be excited about identifying what might be a stopping point or a definition that is entombing them in a way, and to decide to bust out if they want to. Williams: Damn! We have to end on that note. Best of GoldDerby Gary Oldman on 'Slow Horses' being 'an extraordinary show to work on' and 'one of the highlights of my career' Dan Fogelman and team on the making of 'Paradise': 'It only works if you have talented people who you trust' Brandon Scott Jones on CBS' 'Ghosts': 'I enjoy playing characters that are desperate' Click here to read the full article.
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
RHOA star NeNe Leakes criticised for anti-trans comments to Ts Madison
NeNe Leakes, a former star of the of Atlanta, has drawn criticism after she made a number of derogatory remarks about men who date women. In a recent interview with judge Ts Madison when the trans TV personality appeared on Leakes' YouTube series The NeNe Leakes Show, the RHOA personality told Madison she would not date a man who had been with a trans woman and that any man that dated Madison must be gay. 'I don't date gay men,' Madison explained, before Leakes responded: 'You know, when you guys be saying that, that's weird. Because what do you mean you don't date gay men? Because if he sleeping with you, and sleeping with a woman, he something.' 'Well, he's not gay. He's definitely not gay,' Madison answered, with Leakes then suggesting he could be bisexual. 'If a man comes in here and he looks at me and you, well, he likes women,' Madison continued. 'Yeah, because he doesn't know,' Leakes replied, referencing the fact that Madison is a trans woman. 'And if he does know – he likes women,' Madison retorted. 'He could be bi, or he could be pan. A lot of men are paying but they don't say anything,' she said. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Nene Leakes (@neneleakes) 'I don't want to run into them. I don't want to date them,' Leakes declared of men who have been with trans women. 'The man gonna be sleeping with me and you? I don't want to talk to him no more. Why the hell you going to sleep with me then going to sleep with you? I don't want him. I'm over it.' 'Nene, if you've dated men, there's a possibility that… he's been with a man,' Madison stated. 'I know that women consider trans women men because we were born male. But there's a difference between being men and male.' In a subsequent post on Instagram, Madison defended herself further, writing: 'If you are a female that's dated multiple men in your life it's a possibility that one of Those men have experienced something you may deem 'Gay'. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ts Madison™️©️ (@tsmadison) '2. Trans women are desirable to men Who identify as Straight as well,' the TV personality went on. '3. Men who identify as GAY do not date or desire Trans Women.' Madison received praised from trans DJ and music producer Honey Dijon, who commented saying: 'Thank you for bringing this to the light. For me personally, I will be so happy when men's desires and male validation are not centered around happiness. We as women have so much more to offer and we are the ones keeping this planet together. All expressions of womanhood.' Drag Race UK star Alexis Saint-Pete also commented praising Madison and criticising Leakes, writing: 'How patient you were and didn't just flip but explained was so fierce.' Yvie Oddly, winner of Drag Race season 11, also commented saying: 'I love how you coulda come at her sideways for so many things, chose to show grace even when you couldn't make her see things differently.'And I love how by the end she ultimately responded with love for you, despite the things she still might not understand,' Oddly went on. 'This needs to be studied.' Leakes' comments echo that of trans Heartstopper actress Bel Priestley if you date a trans woman. The post RHOA star NeNe Leakes criticised for anti-trans comments to Ts Madison appeared first on Attitude.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
‘We need to be gayer than ever before': ‘RuPaul's Drag Race' queens and producers get political at FYC pool party
Since Season 17 of RuPaul's Drag Race was dubbed the "splashiest season in herstory," it only made sense for its 2025 Emmys campaign event to be a pool party. The top six queens — winner Onya Nurve, runner-up Jewels Sparkles, Sam Star, Lexi Love, Suzie Toot, and Lana Ja'Rae — reunited on Friday for a panel discussion and meet-and-greet with Television Academy members. They were joined by executive producer Randy Barbato, co-executive producer and resident judge Michelle Visage, and choreographer and guest judge Jamal Sims. Actress and Drag Race superfan Leslie Jones moderated the Q&A at the Skybar pool at the Mondrian Hotel in West Hollywood. More from GoldDerby 2025 Tony Awards: Complete list of winners (updating live) 'Ran' turns 40: How a clerical error and bad blood cost Akira Kurosawa an Oscar 'What's next?': Allison Janney on playing a 'badass' on 'The Diplomat,' 'West Wing' 25 years later One of the themes of the evening was drag vs. politics, with Visage declaring, "In this climate, we need to be louder. We need to be gayer than ever before." The queens also talked about why the art of drag is so important right now, especially with all of the attacks on free expression from people in power. Gonzalo Marroquin / Getty Images for MTV The contestants shared how their own life experiences helped them in the competition and pushed them to succeed, and why RuPaul's Drag Race is so vital for the queer community and for the younger generation. Thanks in part to the show, the ACLU Drag Defense Fund has raised over $2.1 million to help bring attention to, and fight against, anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ attacks. Visage reflected on her time in the Badonka Dunk Tank, and explained how the twist was originally inspired by a Lucille Ball gag. Unfortunately, because of the way the tank was designed, there was no way for her not to go "ass first" into the water — her only request was that it be "warm." Various producers and crew members also took the plunge, and a fun clip package was shown to the crowd. During the reception, members of the Pit Crew, including Bryce and Bruno, mingled with attendees and posed on the lifeguard stand by the pool. Inspiring quotes from Mama Ru were displayed around the space, and guests snapped pics at the Drag Race "Confessional" photo booth. Specialty cocktails included the Badonka Dunk and the Ru-Rita, and food was available at a make-your-own taco stand. Gonzalo Marroquin / Getty Images for MTV Each of the queens shared their takeaways from the season. Onya: 'Getting on RuPaul's Drag Race was a dream of mine. Getting on this show is a testament to betting on yourself. I hope winning this show is a beacon of hope for everyone who looks like me." Jewels: The greatest gift I've ever been given is getting to do the show with my dad [in the makeover episode]. When I got home, my mother showed me clips of him practicing in his heels. It takes a secure man to support their child. If my father can cross dress on national television, the minimum people can do is accept their child." Sam: "Coming from the middle of nowhere, I always wanted to be somewhere. Tears of joy can be just as powerful as tears of sadness." Suzie: "Only 14 queens get chosen out of thousands of applicants. It is the reality competition show of all reality competition shows. There are a lot of theater kids who watch the show and see themselves in me. I wear the women who have inspired me on my sleeve." Lana: "I pull my looks from things that make me happy. The best gift in the world is to make someone smile. My drag is everything people told me I couldn't be." Lexi: "My vulnerability has allowed me to accept life. The show has unlocked everything." Barbato: "The show is a drag queen. All the producers are like drag queens. We go into our closet to create." Visage: "This competition is different from any of the others on television, because our queens are different from any other star on television. They live for the art of drag." Sims: "I'm always nervous, but what I look for is confidence in a queen. Can I give them the information they need to succeed? I always ask: what do you need from me?" All episodes of RuPaul's Drag Race are streaming now on Paramount+. The main series has received 71 Emmy nominations and 29 wins, including 14 total for RuPaul Charles (eight for hosting, six for producing). SIGN UP for Gold Derby's free newsletter with latest predictions Best of GoldDerby 'Say Nothing' star Anthony Boyle on playing IRA activist Brendan Hughes: We 'get to the humanity as opposed to the mythology' The Making of 'The Eyes of the World: From D-Day to VE Day': PBS variety special 'comes from the heart' From 'Hot Rod' to 'Eastbound' to 'Gemstones,' Danny McBride breaks down his most righteous roles: 'It's been an absolute blast' Click here to read the full article.
