This Is The Only Time There's Ever Been A Tie In RuPaul's Drag Race History
For over two decades, the reality TV sphere has skyrocketed within the entertainment industry. From "The Real World" and "The Amazing Race" to "The Bachelor" and "Bad Girls Club," the genre has steadily introduced an array of shows for TV enthusiasts to sink their teeth into. One of the biggest programs in the reality programming world is "RuPaul's Drag Race." The competition series, which is hosted by the titular icon RuPaul, follows an array of drag queens and their journey to become America's next drag superstar by way of maxi-challenges and runway looks.
Since its debut, the show has earned critical acclaim for its larger-than-life challenges, LGBTQ+ inclusivity, and heartwarming storylines amongst the cast. In a 2021 interview with Vanity Fair, Ru opened up about the success, stating, "This is a show started made by queer people for queer people on a very small, queer cable network. Nobody had any idea that it would be worldwide."
While the Emmy award-winning series has become beloved for its challenges and runway moments, the show has also been revered for its gag-worthy twists. One of the biggest jaw-dropping moments of the expansive franchise was when Mama Ru crowned both Monet X Change and Trinity The Tuck as the winners of "RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars" Season 4.
Monet X Change and Trinity The Tuck make Drag Race herstory
Over the years, "RuPaul's Drag Race" has expanded with new series, including "Celebrity Drag Race" and "Drag Race UK." However, one of the most beloved spin-offs in the franchise is "RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars," on which Drag Race veterans return to fight for the crown once more. Across seven seasons, the series remained faithful to its source material while also adding new elements specific to "All Stars," including a pairs competition and queens having the power to eliminate their fellow queens.
However, one of the spinoff's most herstory-making seasons proved to be "All Stars 4." After slaying the competition, Monet X Change and Trinity The Tuck ended up as the final two queens of the season. For the final vote, Ru delivered one final twist when she crowned both queens as the winners; the first tie in Drag Race herstory.
In a 2019 interview with Entertainment Weekly, Monet revealed she and Trinity were gagged by the twist. "When I heard Ru say 'For the first time in Drag Race history,' I was like, I thought it was going to be [crowing me] our first Black All Star," she said. But after being shocked by the double win, Monet described the moment as completely great. Trinity echoed similar sentiments in a separate interview with Vulture, stating, "It feels amazing! When you set your mind at a goal and you achieve it, you feel on top of the world."
All Stars 4 double win received mixed reviews from fans
While "RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars" Season 4 made herstory by crowing Monet X Change and Trinity The Tuck, fans expressed mixed reactions at the time. One Twitter user wrote, "That AllStars 4 ending is... ROUGH!!" Another user said, "Love the queens, hate the show ... hate that there 2 winners." Drag Race alumni also called out the show for the double win. "Congrats to the winners!!! Love them both. However, let's just make one thing clear... a double win on a challenge, sure... but a double crown is so lame," said Farrah Moan, per Gay Times.
Although the show and its double win received pushback, Monet and Trinity wasted no time shining as the franchise's first dual winners. In a 2020 interview with Entertainment Weekly, Monet touched on the fan backlash, stating, "People instantly wanted to pit us against each other, but we're both thriving and doing our own thing." Trinity echoed similar sentiments and described their achievement as showing "true equality," adding, "It means something to these kids watching the show."
While their win on "All Stars" has come and gone, their time in the "Drag Race" fandom is far from over. In May 2022, the two queens returned the werkroom and runway in the franchise's first-ever season of winners — another historic moment on the hit series.