Sunday’s “In Memoriam” segment at the Emmy Awards was missing America’s favorite cheap queen.
RuPaul’s Drag Race alum Chi Chi DeVayne, who died in August, was missing from the annual segment, which pays tribute to entertainers who have passed away over the previous year. As H.E.R. sang a rendition of Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 U” — which was popularized by Irish singer Sinead O’Connor — a slideshow featured names like Naya Rivera (Glee), Diahann Carroll (Julia), Jerry Stiller (Seinfeld), Fred Willard (Modern Family), and Regis Philbin (Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?).
Special segments were devoted to the recent deaths of Chadwick Boseman, who appeared in shows like Fringe and ER before starring in Marvel’s Black Panther, and Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Boseman passed away on August 28 following a four-year fight with colon cancer, while Ginsburg died on Friday after surviving cancer three times.
But DeVayne, born Zavion Davenport, was among those snubbed from the reel. The omission was notable given that RuPaul paid tribute to the season 8 and All Stars 3 contestant while accepting the trophy for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Competition Program, his fifth consecutive win in the category.
“I’d like to dedicate this Emmy to one of my girls, Chi Chi DeVayne,” the RuPaul’s Drag Race host said. “May you rest in power and perfection.”
DeVayne passed away at the age of 34 following a series of extreme health complications. The beloved drag performer, who lived with the connective tissue disease scleroderma, was hospitalized in July after facing kidney failure and then again the following month after a bout of pneumonia, which ultimately ended her life.
Following news of her passing, the RuPaul’s Drag Race fan favorite was remembered by Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi on Twitter as an “incredible performer” and by season 10 winner Aquaria as “truly one of the most supportive queens.”
“She brought such Louisiana warmth and personality to RuPaul’s Drag Race and I’m sure inspired countless young people in the [LGBTQ+] community,” Lakshmi said.
The Shreveport, Louisiana native made a mark on season 8 with her trademark grit and good humor. Throughout her season, DeVayne was vocal about the fact that she lacked the resources and money of some of her fellow contestants, sashaying into the workroom dressed in a literal trash bag she refashioned into a gown. But the small-town diva ultimately outlasted through sheer perseverance and talent, ultimately finishing in four behind winner Bob the Drag Queen.
DeVayne’s iconic lip sync against Thorgy Thor — in which she slays the house down even as her broken dress rains beads all over the stage — remains a hallmark of her time on the show and a reminder of everything that made her great. She may not have had the bank account, but she had something money can’t buy: heart.
Although DeVayne had been included in an “In Memoriam” aired during the Creative Arts Emmys earlier in the week, many fans felt it was a missed opportunity to celebrate her proud legacy on the Emmys main stage. This was especially true in an evening which saw queer favorite Schitt’s Creek dominate the competition, taking home nine awards in a historic sweep, and RuPaul’s Drag Race win its third consecutive honor for Outstanding Competition Program.
But DeVayne wasn’t the only name left on the cutting room floor Sunday. Broadway star Nick Cordero, who died from complications related to COVID-19 in July, was omitted by the awards show despite his work on TV shows like Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, Blue Bloods, and Queer As Folk.
Former Scrubs star Zach Braff noted in a tweet that he campaigned to have Cordero included in the “In Memoriam” segment and was refused. He posted a screenshot of a denial letter from the Emmys in a tweet, in which the awards body claimed that it “simply cannot ensure any particular individual is included, nor do we release the name of those included prior to the telecast.”
“For those wondering: The Emmys chose to leave Nick Cordero out of the memorial montage,” Braff tweeted on Monday. “I had no idea one had to campaign to get their loved one in. We did. They passed.”
The 45-year-old actor noted that his Scrubs co-star Sam Lloyd, who died of lung cancer in May, was also snubbed.
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