UK drag star The Vivienne died after taking ketamine. Her friends and family have shared the information to raise awareness about the potentially deadly effects of the drug.
James Lee Williams, who found fame as The Vivienne, was found dead in his bathroom in January. He was just 32 years old.
Now his family have released details of an autopsy that showed the death was attributable to cardiac arrest after taking the drug ketamine.
Speaking to the BBC publicist Simon Jones said the family felt it was important to share the information to raise awareness.
“I hope by us releasing this information we can raise awareness about the dangers of ongoing ketamine usage and what it can do to your body,” he said.
The performer’s sister Chanel Williams said the family still “continues to be completely devastated” by her brother’s passing they really wanted to make sure some good came out of the tragic situation.
“If we can help raise awareness of the dangers of this drug and help people who may be dealing with ketamine addiction then something positive will come from this complete tragedy,” she said.
The Vivienne gained an international profile when they appeared on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, and were praised for being up front about their previous challenges with substance abuse.
Ketamine is a dissociative drug. It works on the brain to produce changes in what you can see and hear. It can also create a sense of detachment from reality.
Ketamine was originally developed in the 1960s for medical use as an anesthetic. Today, medical practitioners and veterinarians still use it for this purpose, but it’s also started being used to treat depression.
It has also been used illegally as a recreational drug, and its use has gradually been growing over the decades.
The death of Friends actor Matthew Perry has been attributed to ketamine use. Perry was found dead in a hot tub in his Los Angeles home in October 2023.
An autopsy found high levels of ketamine in his system were a major contributing factor to his death. While Perry had been taking the drug under medical supervision it was found that he had been given additional amounts which lead to charges against several doctors and Perry’s former assistant who had aided him to access the drugs.
