Latest news with #Castro-Arabejo
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Reality TV star and influential drag performer dies at 44
Bianca Castro-Arabejo, a reality star and drag performer known by the stage name Jiggy Caliente, has died at age 44. Castro-Arabejo's family shared the news on Instagram, stating that the star passed away 'surrounded by her loving family and close friends' on Sunday morning. The news brings a sudden and unexpected end to Castro-Arabejo's career of 20-plus years, which included appearances on 'RuPaul's Drag Race' and various spinoffs, and a recurring role in the TV drama 'Pose.' 'Her legacy is one of love, courage, and light,' the statement said. 'Though her physical presence is gone, the joy she shared and the space she helped create for so many will remain forever.' Castro-Arabejo's family had shared a serious health update about the performer just days earlier, announcing that she had lost 'most of her right leg' due to a 'severe infection.' As a result, the post announced that Castro-Arabejo would not appear as a judge in the next season of 'Drag Race Philippines' as planned. Working as a judge on the 'Drag Race' spinoff brought Castro-Arabejo back to her birthplace in previous seasons of the show; the performer immigrated to New York from the Philippines as a child. Over the course of her decades-spanning career, she appeared on three different versions of the 'Drag Race' reality TV series: first as a contestant on 'RuPaul's Drag Race' and 'RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars,' and later as a judge on 'Drag Race Philippines.' 'We are devastated by the passing of Jiggly Caliente, a cherished member of the Drag Race family,' reads a statement from 'RuPaul's Drag Race' on Instagram. 'Her talent, truth, and impact will never be forgotten, and her legacy will continue to slay — always. We're holding her family, friends, and fans close in our hearts during this difficult time.' Castro-Arabejo came out as transgender in 2016, and later told Billboard that she was transitioning while on 'Drag Race' but 'wanted to keep my personal life and my work life separate.' 'I didn't want it to be my storyline, because being a trans woman is not what defines me, and I didn't want me being a trans woman have anything to do with the show,' she said. Castro-Arabejo's family released an additional statement via Instagram on Monday that revealed in-progress plans for both private and public services. The post also asked fans to donate to a GoFundMe page that is raising money to help pay for costs relating to the star's funeral, memorial services, medical bills, and 'related expenses.' Her family stated that they will donate any leftover money to causes that Castro-Arabejo 'cared deeply about — causes that fought for the people she fought for every day." 'We want to honor her the way she lived: loud, proud, full of color, full of heart,' the most recent statement reads. 'We are putting together a Celebration of Life that will be a true reflection of her spirit — not just mourning her loss, but celebrating the incredible, unstoppable life she lived." UPS expects to cut 20,000 jobs, close 73 buildings in 2025 Filing in R.I. case reveals EPA set to cancel nearly 800 environmental justice grants Police identify 5 involved in attack on college student in downtown Boston Child struck, killed by school bus in Boston was a 5-year-old boy Where Bruins stand going into NHL Draft Lottery Read the original article on MassLive.
CBC
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Drag performer Jiggly Caliente, known for RuPaul's Drag Race and Pose, dead at 44
Bianca Castro-Arabejo, known for her work as drag performer Jiggly Caliente on RuPaul's Drag Race, died Sunday at age 44, just days after her family reported that she'd been hospitalized with an infection. Castro-Arabejo, who became a judge on Drag Race Philippines in 2022, had scrapped plans to appear on the upcoming season after a recent hospitalization for a "severe infection" and a leg amputation surgery, her family said in a statement on her Instagram page. She died early Sunday, her family said in another statement, adding that she was surrounded by family and friends. "A luminous presence in the worlds of entertainment and advocacy, Jiggly Caliente was celebrated for her infectious energy, fierce wit and unwavering authenticity," her family said Sunday. "She touched countless lives through her artistry, activism, and the genuine connection she fostered with fans around the world." Castro-Arabejo first hit the screen as part of the cast for the fourth season of RuPaul's Drag Race in 2012. She quickly became a fan favourite for her vivacious personality and memorable interactions with judge RuPaul, who developed a recurring catchphrase for whenever they spoke: "May I call you Jiggly?" After placing eighth in her original run, she appeared on the sixth season of RuPaul's Drag Race Allstars in 2021, where she placed 12th. "Her talent, truth and impact will never be forgotten, and her legacy will continue to slay — always," said a statement from RuPaul's Drag Race posted on X. "We're holding her family, friends and fans close in our hearts during this difficult time." Castro-Arabejo was also known for her portrayal of the character Veronica Ferocity on FX's hit series Pose, appearing in 12 episodes across its three-season run. She also had appearances on TV sitcoms like Broad City and Search Party. Born in the Philippines, Castro-Arabejo immigrated to New York. She started working in drag about 20 years ago, appearing in competitions and pageants. She came out as a trans woman in 2016. 'Laughter was endless' Fellow drag performers and others who worked with Castro-Arabejo have been sharing photos and memories of her since the news broke. Manila Luzon, another Filipina American drag star who came to prominence on RuPaul's Drag Race, said on social media that Castro-Abejo had been her best friend for 25 years and that she was "heartbroken" to hear of her passing. "I'm really gunna miss all our long phone calls, your endless barrage of hilarious Reels in my DMs, your cooking, and especially ALL YOUR SHADE!!!" she wrote. Drag Race judge Michelle Visage shared a photo of her and Castro-Arabejo on Instagram in the wake of the news, writing:"My jiggles…. The laughter was endless, our talks were special, your energy was contagious. You were and remain so very loved. This world has lost an angel and we want you to soar high…. I love you so much honey." Fellow Drag Race Philippines judge Jervi Wrightson, also known as Kaladkaren, also posted a tribute to Castro-Abejo, who used to sit next to her on the panel. "I just lost my favourite seatmate. Drag Race Philippines will never be the same without you," Wrightson wrote. Across her career, Castro-Arabejo was vocal about the influence of her upbringing in her work and its importance for representation in the industry. In 2018, she released a hip-hop album called T.H.O.T. Process, including a track where she raps in Tagalog. During a 2023 episode of reality show Bring Back My Girls, which reunites different performers from the Drag Race franchise, Castro-Arabejo said her work as a judge was important because of her heritage. "When it comes to my culture, I live and breathe that I am Filipina," she said. "I am a proud immigrant woman." Castro-Arabejo shared that she was a trans woman in 2016 on a podcast, partly because she said she received letters from fans who were struggling with their own gender identities. "I wanted to come out because I was ready to come out. I have been living as a trans woman for so long, but I just never told the audience and the fans that," she said in a 2018 Billboard interview. "I was actually transitioning while I was on the show, I just never talked about it. I didn't want it to be my storyline, because being a trans woman is not what defines me."
The Star
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
'RuPaul's Drag Race' star Jiggly Caliente dies at 44 after leg amputation
Jiggly Caliente competed on the fourth season of 'RuPaul's Drag Race' and later on 'RuPaul's Drag Race Allstars'. Photo: Jiggly Caliente/Instagram Drag performer Bianca Castro-Arabejo, who was known as reality television star Jiggly Caliente on RuPaul's Drag Race, died Sunday at age 44, days after her family reported hospitalisation for a serious infection. Castro-Arabejo, who became a judge on Drag Race Philippines in 2022, scrapped plans to appear on the upcoming season after a recent hospitalisation for a "severe infection' and a leg amputation surgery, her family said in a statement on her Instagram page. She died early Sunday, her family said in another statement. "A luminous presence in the worlds of entertainment and advocacy, Jiggly Caliente was celebrated for her infectious energy, fierce wit, and unwavering authenticity,' her family said Sunday. "She touched countless lives through her artistry, activism, and the genuine connection she fostered with fans around the world.' Castro-Arabejo competed on the fourth season of RuPaul's Drag Race and later on RuPaul's Drag Race Allstars . "Her talent, truth, and impact will never be forgotten, and her legacy will continue to slay - always,' said a statement from RuPaul's Drag Race posted on X. "We're holding her family, friends, and fans close in our hearts during this difficult time.' Born in the Philippines, Castro-Arabejo immigrated to New York. She started working in drag about 20 years ago, appearing in competitions and pageants. She noted the influence of her upbringing in her work and its importance for representation in the industry. In 2018, she released a hip-hop album called T.H.O.T. Process, including a track where she raps in Tagalog. During a 2023 episode of reality show Bring Back My Girls , which reunites different performers from the Drag Race franchise, Castro-Arabejo said her work as a judge was important because of her heritage. "When it comes to my culture, I live and breathe that I am Filipina,' she said. "I am a proud immigrant woman.' She publicly came out as transgender in 2016 on a podcast, partly because she said she received letters from fans who were struggling with their own gender identities. "I wanted to come out because I was ready to come out. I have been living as a trans woman for so long, but I just never told the audience and the fans that,' she said in a 2018 Billboard interview. "I was actually transitioning while I was on the show, I just never talked about it. I didn't want it to be my storyline, because being a trans woman is not what defines me.' – AP
CNA
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- CNA
Reality TV star Jiggly Caliente from RuPaul's Drag Race franchise dies at 44 after hospitalisation
Drag performer Bianca Castro-Arabejo, who was known as reality television star Jiggly Caliente on RuPaul's Drag Race, died Sunday (Apr 27) at age 44, days after her family reported hospitalisation for a serious infection. Castro-Arabejo, who became a judge on Drag Race Philippines in 2022, scrapped plans to appear on the upcoming season after a recent hospitalisation for a 'severe infection' and a leg amputation surgery, her family said in a statement on her Instagram page. She died early Sunday, her family said in another statement. 'A luminous presence in the worlds of entertainment and advocacy, Jiggly Caliente was celebrated for her infectious energy, fierce wit, and unwavering authenticity,' her family said Sunday. 'She touched countless lives through her artistry, activism, and the genuine connection she fostered with fans around the world.' Castro-Arabejo competed on the fourth season of RuPaul's Drag Race and later on RuPaul's Drag Race Allstars. 'Her talent, truth, and impact will never be forgotten, and her legacy will continue to slay — always,' said a statement from RuPaul's Drag Race posted on X. 'We're holding her family, friends, and fans close in our hearts during this difficult time.' Born in the Philippines, Castro-Arabejo immigrated to New York. She started working in drag about 20 years ago, appearing in competitions and pageants. She noted the influence of her upbringing in her work and its importance for representation in the industry. In 2018, she released a hip-hop album called T.H.O.T. Process, including a track where she raps in Tagalog. During a 2023 episode of reality show Bring Back My Girls, which reunites different performers from the Drag Race franchise, Castro-Arabejo said her work as a judge was important because of her heritage. 'When it comes to my culture, I live and breathe that I am Filipina,' she said. 'I am a proud immigrant woman.' She publicly came out as transgender in 2016 on a podcast, partly because she said she received letters from fans who were struggling with their own gender identities. 'I wanted to come out because I was ready to come out. I have been living as a trans woman for so long, but I just never told the audience and the fans that,' she said in a 2018 Billboard interview. 'I was actually transitioning while I was on the show, I just never talked about it. I didn't want it to be my storyline, because being a trans woman is not what defines me.'
CNN
27-04-2025
- Entertainment
- CNN
Jiggly Caliente, 'RuPaul's Drag Race' contestant, dead at 44
Jiggly Caliente, a performer and actress who rose to prominence as a contestant on 'RuPaul's Drag Race,' has died, according to a statement from her family. She was 44. The reality TV personality, whose real name was Bianca Castro-Arabejo, died on Sunday and was 'surrounded by her loving family and close friends,' according to her family's statement, which was posted to her verified Instagram page. 'A luminous presence in the worlds of entertainment and advocacy, Jiggly Caliente was celebrated for her infectious energy, fierce wit, and unwavering authenticity,' the statement read. 'She touched countless lives through her artistry, activism and the genuine connection she fostered with fans around the world.' A cause of death has not yet been confirmed, but her family said in a statement days before her death that Castro-Arabejo had 'experienced a serious health setback' and had her right leg amputated due to a 'severe infection.' Her recovery was expected to be extensive, the statement, posted to her Instagram, said. CNN has reached out to a representative for Castro-Arabejo and a member of her family for additional comment. Castro-Arabejo was best known for competing on Season 4 of 'Drag Race' in 2012. Though eliminated at the time, she later returned to appear in the 2021 'All Stars' season. 'We are devastated by the passing of Jiggly Caliente, a cherished member of the Drag Race family,' a statement posted to the official 'Drag Race' Instagram read. 'Her talent, truth, and impact will never be forgotten, and her legacy will continue to slay—always. We're holding her family, friends, and fans close in our hearts during this difficult time.' In 2022, Castro-Arabejo became a judge on 'RuPaul's Drag Race Philippines,' serving in that position until 2024. Castro-Arabejo was unable to appear as a judge on the upcoming season of the series because of her health troubles, according to her family. With her sights set on acting after discovering reality TV fame, Castro-Arabejo auditioned for Ryan Murphy's FX series 'Pose,' eventually scoring a recurring guest star role. 'There's a stigma with reality TV personalities who want to be actors, and that's why, when I auditioned for Pose, I didn't audition as Jiggly Caliente, I auditioned as Bianca,' she told Entertainment Weekly in a 2021 interview. 'I didn't want people to box me in as a reality star. I wanted people to give me a fair shot.' In 2016, Castro-Arabejo came out as trans on the Grizzly Kiki podcast and later said she hoped to inspire the queer community in the Philippines. 'I never saw anyone like me growing up,' said in a 2024 interview. 'To be one of the first trans-Filipinas cast on a Ryan Murphy show, despite the fact that I barely had any lines, it was an important milestone for representation.' Castro-Arabejo was proud of her Filipino heritage, telling Billboard in a 2018 interview that 'my culture is very very important to me.' 'I was living here in America when my mom told me to remember who I was. She really wanted me to remember where I come from,' she told the publication. 'There's a whole lot of beautiful Filipinos out there, but I wanted to show them that the language is also cute, and I love it!'
