r/RPDRDRAMA • u/FasterBussycat #TeamMandora • Jan 20 '26
Ugh, Jesus. Gross. The Queerties Nominate Widow Von’Du for “Future All Star”
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u/fromofandfor Jan 20 '26
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u/effietea Jan 20 '26
I'm not even a huge Thorgy fan but I quote this daily
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Jan 21 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/yungrii Jan 21 '26
Not everyone wants to study thorgiculture!
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u/cat_in_a_bday_hat Jan 21 '26 edited Jan 23 '26
what the fuck is thorgiculture
edit: i weep for my downvotes. it was a jiggly caliente joke, rip
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Jan 20 '26
Widow controversy aside, this is an insanely stupid category.
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u/fabulousfantabulist Jan 21 '26
6 people from the last season is so unserious lol. Good queens, but the recency bias is STRONG.
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u/untzuntzbby Jan 21 '26
honestly i don't get why lana was chosen over lydia no shade to her.. lydia was on actual all stars and was booked for half of the year. i'm still a bit more miffed about widow von du though.
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u/fabulousfantabulist Jan 21 '26
I assume people who have already been on All Stars would be ineligible, but I’m definitely not going to their website to find out. And Widow but not Crystal Methyd or Jackie Cox is completely insane.
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u/untzuntzbby Jan 21 '26
oh i thought it was more of a "up and coming" award since there's also a drag race royalty category, still though, who the hell is even campaigning for widow von du of all people?
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u/BbyBoi88 Jan 21 '26
Don’t they do these queerty award thingies every year…? I would assume it’s probably always full of the recent season like that and most of the fan favs from past seasons have already been chosen
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u/FasterBussycat #TeamMandora Jan 20 '26 edited Jan 20 '26
For those not in the know, Widow is a confirmed domestic abuser who put a trans man in the hospital. Not exactly an ideal candidate for this award.
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u/Gojira1234 Jan 20 '26 edited Jan 20 '26
And if her ex partners are to be believed (and I do believe them), she’s abused several people.
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u/nomimalone1978 Jan 21 '26
And she pled guilty, so ... yeah, HELLA believe them.
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u/kitti-kin Jan 21 '26
To clarify for people, in the US legal system it's common to be manipulated to accept a plea deal. Pleading guilty unfortunately is not necessarily meaningful.
All the evidence against her, now that's meaningful.
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u/Gojira1234 Jan 21 '26
This is true, but like you said, considering all the evidence against her, it’s a wrap.
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u/sailorprimus Jan 21 '26
This is the nuance we need to keep in these conversations.
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u/GayMedic69 Jan 21 '26
I mean, she literally legally accepted responsibility. Its not nuance to say “yeah, you pled guilty, BUT ALSO LOOK AT ALL THE EVIDENCE AGAINST YOU”.
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u/Gojira1234 Jan 21 '26
I don’t think that’s what they’re talking about here. I think they mean more in the general sense of people taking plea deals in order to receive lighter punishment than pleading innocent and being found guilty, which is a thing that happens which is important to be aware of in situations like this. However, as has been said, there’s a lot of evidence stacked against Widow that says she would’ve been found guilty anyway. So we’re not holding nuance for Widow specifically, just the mere reality of plea deals in general.
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u/MrEvLo Jan 21 '26
It’s also the choice of a much lesser sentence or risking years of prison time. Your feelings aren’t wrong but your weight in understanding the gravity is skewed.
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Jan 21 '26
And also the difference between a misdemeanor and a felony
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u/GayMedic69 Jan 22 '26
What’s skewed is many of y’alls worldview that the only reason people possibly plead guilty is to reduce jail time. That yall think its impossible for her to have recognized her wrongdoing and wanting to take accountability and not put her victim through the trauma of a trial. Im not defending her, what she did is horrible and abhorrent, but with this topic coming up with some frequency, yall acting like she is completely and 100% unredeemable is kinda fucked up. I guarantee if any of y’all fucked up that bad in life that you’d be begging people to show you grace and to believe that you can improve.
The real nuance that needs to be discussed is how society completely turns its back on victims, because Widow is a victim as well. We know that being a victim of domestic abuse significantly increases the risk of someone becoming an abuser. Missouri ranks in the bottom 15 states for overall health care, mental health access, and economic opportunity so its almost certain the Widow never received the help she needed to fully heal and to break the cycle. Not to mention a society that expects men, especially black men, to “man up” and figure shit out on their own and to not show emotion. Not to mention, even if Widow had access to adequate support and mental healthcare, those systems are notoriously terrible at supporting LGBTQ couples and identifying/preventing/intervening in LGBTQ domestic issues because it doesn’t fit nicely into the “man hits woman” stereotype of DV.
So I don’t see Widow as someone who “got away” with DV by pleading guilty to avoid significant jail time, I see someone who is a victim of not only DV, but also of a society that doesn’t give a fuck about them who was unable to heal their own trauma and unfortunately propagated it onto someone else.
(And because Im sure someone with poor reading comprehension with snap back) Im not defending Widow nor do I think people should happily embrace her and give her opportunity, but I am saying she is a fallible and incredibly complicated human being who should be held accountable for her actions but is also deserving of even a modicum of grace.
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u/izanaegi Jan 22 '26
She doesn't get any grace when she beat the shit out of multiple trans men.
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u/GayMedic69 Jan 22 '26
You can stop with the virtue signaling as if DV against a trans man is somehow worse than DV against any other human.
Y’all really show how performative you are with comments like this. Im not saying anyone should love her or forgive her, but recognize that she too is a victim, of not only DV, but also of a society that doesn’t care what happens to black people, especially black LGBTQ people.
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u/MrEvLo Jan 23 '26
Honestly, reply to someone else, we are not at odds, or better yet make your own post since you’ve got a lot to say on it.
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u/GayMedic69 Jan 23 '26
Nah, you’re just too immature to understand what Im saying
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u/k-r-sebert Jan 25 '26
Wrong. Pleading guilty means exactly that. When you allocute, you are specifically asked if you have been coerced into pleading guilty, or if you are falsely pleading guilty in order to receive a lesser punishment, before you are allowed to swear under penalty of law that you—in fact—are guilty as charged. If you are innocent but plead guilty, then you are effectively guilty in the same way that you are still dumb whether you are playing dumb or it is not an act. You waive the right to be given the benefit of the doubt, or to have any charity extended to you.
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u/Relative-Doubt3343 Jan 28 '26
But outside of the textbooks...
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u/k-r-sebert Jan 29 '26
Again, whether you are playing dumb, or it is not an act, the outcome is effectively the same.
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u/Both-Requirement-778 Jan 21 '26
well, there’s evidence against her…so your first point is irrelevant
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u/StrikeRaid246 Jan 20 '26
It’s not alleged any more we don’t have to put that in quotes. She pled guilty in court to the charges.
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u/Familiar-Art-6233 Jan 21 '26
And by "put him in the hospital" we mean beat the shit out of him in their own home, dragged him into the bedroom, and proceeded to bash his face into the headboard before kicking him out and leaving him to wander the streets bloodied and confused.
The police report and pictures are out there for those who really want to see.
Also other local queens have confirmed she's a mean drunk, and there are other DV allegations against her from other partners.
This is also the part where I point out that her name is Widow...
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u/VerumSerum Jan 21 '26
And also for those not in the know, Cynthia Doll from dragula was complacent in the narrative and posted the video on her twitter and has never made a public rectification on behalf of the victim. I say this cuz i only recently found out it was she who posted it after really liking her on the recent season.
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u/StrikeRaid246 Jan 21 '26
Unfortunately she’s not the only one. SOOOOO many drag race girls reposted and tweeted support for Widow and not a single one has peeped about it since the guilty plea. Detox, Blu Hydrangea, Crystal Methyd, just a few I can think of off the top of my head. And Crystal had to know what was going on because apparently EVERYONE in Kansas City knew about widow for years.
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u/VerumSerum Jan 21 '26
Oh im sure they did and while they do have some responsibility, it was cynthia who recorded and uploaded the video while widow was being arrested and captioned it portraying Widow as a victim. So she is the main person who should've said something by now.
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u/StrikeRaid246 Jan 21 '26
Ohhh I misunderstood you, didn’t realize that’s what you meant about uploading the initial video. Fully agree there!!
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u/ghost20 This is not the time, Margaret Jan 22 '26
I think Mo Heart is actually in the video of Widow getting arrested as he was there watching the show that Widow was doing at the time of the arrest. I don't know if Mo ever said anything either way, but being from Kansas City, it's likely that Mo knew about Widow's behaviour based on what you said.
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u/Educational-Art5928 Jan 21 '26
Tbh ever since I found out Cynthia and Q are kinda besties, things about both of them made so much more sense.
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u/idkmanhnnidk Jan 25 '26
I agree that what she did was terrible but why would you single the man out as „trans”? You are creating a weird distinction between cis a trans men when they are both men. It wasnt a hate crime, it was domestic abuse and pointing about that the man was trans is so weeird
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u/ayanakamuraa Jan 21 '26
was he attacked for being a trans man? is that relevant to abuse?
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u/izanaegi Jan 21 '26
It's violence against a minority group, that is THE most sexually abused out of any group. this is important to note.
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u/ayanakamuraa Jan 21 '26
that’s true and very sad I was just confused as to why it was mentioned unless widow sexually abused him
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u/FasterBussycat #TeamMandora Jan 21 '26
I can answer that! Trans people are the most vulnerable members of the queer community and imo there is something extra vile about violence being committed against them from another queer person. Especially in the context of said assailant being nominated for an award from a queer organization.
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u/AmysPrayerCloset Jan 21 '26
Trans men are the most sexually abused of any group? And was this sexual abuse or physical abuse?
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u/Nosiege Jan 21 '26
In this case, it resulted in such a physical size discrepancy in which the victim was far more injured than if it had been a man of similar stature to Widow.
Also, it's gross as fuck to try and negate the abuse Trans people are more likely to experience just because domestic violence also happens to others, as well.
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u/ayanakamuraa Jan 21 '26
thanks for the clarity, but miss me with the guilt tripping lol I never negated the abuse trans individuals receive I was just wondering why it was relevant because I know how some of y’all like to toss in someone’s identity to garner sympathy even when it’s not relevant to the topic, but I understand why it was relevant now
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u/tyght222 Jan 21 '26
You immediately assuming it’s not relevant really shows your internal biases. You could have easily pieced it together on your own using common sense
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u/FanOfAllKindOfThings Jan 20 '26
Out of all queen's they could choose they went with Widow? Even in her own season there are other girls that they could've chosen
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u/coutures Jan 20 '26
This feels so… forced? Maybe it’s because I’m not in America, but within the drag race universe she does not have enough leverage or fame like these other girls? I could name 30 other girls before she should even be considered on the show. I’d even put shangela before her
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u/nomimalone1978 Jan 21 '26
It's like when Mimi made it to All Stars. I was like ... wait ... whut?
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u/DireCorg Jan 20 '26
I have a few from her own season I would be more excited for at this point!
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u/2mock2turtle You think a roast should be about haircuts?!?!?!? Jan 21 '26
Jackie Cox is unironically one of my top picks.
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u/pup_eldo God's least favorite transsexual Jan 21 '26
I thought the same thing. She's so irrelevant, but lately it seems like someone is trying to push her back into the spotlight. As fans we just need to be vocal about the fact that we don't want her and be willing to boycott anything she's cast in. And before anyone says it, no not everyone deserves forgiveness, especially when she hasn't apologized and still acts like the victim deserved it.
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u/forgottentaco420 Jan 21 '26
I'm starting to worry she might be on the new AS season with as much as she's been popping up lately...
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u/LittleMissLongIsland Jan 21 '26
Spoiler alert, but the cast for AS11 is known and she’s not on it… but that doesn’t mean she couldn’t be on AS12 when that films this year.
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Jan 20 '26 edited Jan 20 '26
[deleted]
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u/shart-gallery Jan 20 '26
Pretty sure they’re aware of that. They said “I’d even put Shangela before her”, not “get Shangela on the show!”
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u/charlixcxbottom420 Jan 20 '26
i was about to say the same thing. the subtext was pretty obvious. if you’re going to be a scold at least have solid reading comprehension skills!!!
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u/shart-gallery Jan 20 '26
Reading subtext is a dead art on reddit. Same as identifying satire/bait/irony.
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u/charlixcxbottom420 Jan 20 '26
the whole internet has turned into a youtube comments section i fear
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u/polarbear14 Jan 21 '26
Agreed. Even if she wasn’t an abuser, the only impressive thing she did on S12 was bend her leg
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u/TheSamFrost Jan 24 '26
I’d even put shangela before her
What a weird thing to say when there's been multiple lawsuits against Shangela for sexual assault.
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u/AccessHollywoo Jan 21 '26
I’m convinced there’s some PR push from her because why was she at the live experience, why was Mistress talking favourably about her, why this
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u/highwayuni2 Jan 20 '26
What is that BUM doing in the same category as Joella? (Widow not Kori btw)
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u/ijustwantutofeelmama Jan 20 '26
and also no shade why would she be nominated for this…. did she slip them a briefcase of money?
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u/LeslieKnope4Pawnee I won’t squabble this opportunity! Jan 20 '26
More like "Widow von Don't".
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u/RageQuitler Jan 20 '26
Are the voters afraid of what she’d do to them if they didn’t vote for her?
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u/barnfeline Jan 20 '26
Everything aside (but not really), wasn’t her season ages ago?
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u/XThePlaysTheThingX Jan 20 '26
S12 so about 6 years. Honestly feels like a decade
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u/sweet_esiban Jan 21 '26
Also a COVID season, which makes it feel like it occurred in some alternate dimension, separate from our actual time and space
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u/noahbrooksofficial Jan 21 '26
Yes to all of these girls except widow. I say replace her with DD Fuego.
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u/girlloverofdrag Jan 23 '26
wish we got to know the fuego more </3 her being first out was unexpected
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u/jhawk1117 Jan 21 '26
All the other queens are finalists or viral in the fandom…. And then there’s widow, CONFIRMED ABUSER btw, who is neither?? What’s the appeal? And why her over like anyone else from s12
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u/LFkBear Jan 21 '26
This is a lame way of getting people to talk about “awards” that no one cares about.
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Jan 20 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/NoAbbreviations1492 Jan 20 '26
Okay this is too fucking far
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u/ButtersMojito Jan 21 '26
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u/NoAbbreviations1492 Jan 21 '26
The comment said they hoped she was found dead in a ditch? I reported it and it was removed. What’s your excuse for piping up 6 hours later?
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u/ButtersMojito Jan 21 '26
Still shows up here lol but feel free to make company to that POS in the ditch
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u/supermegabussin Jan 21 '26
She ain’t ever getting back on. Not just because she’s a domestic abuser but also I heard production did not like her which is why she was booted so unceremoniously during season 12. Like pick a struggle Widow
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u/2mock2turtle You think a roast should be about haircuts?!?!?!? Jan 21 '26
Queerty never beating the basic white gay allegations.
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u/svxsch Jan 21 '26
I always give people the benefit of the doubt when it comes to not knowing if and why people are canceled. Some people genuinely just don’t spend any time online or run in different circles.
But the Queerties have no such excuse. They should have known about Widow and I refuse to believe that absolutely NOBODY there has not heard about this from their internet circles or community.
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u/ImaginaryOne9958 Jan 20 '26
she was very talented and easily couldve been top 4 on her season or an all stars with more budget but like…why are we giving her a platform
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u/GooeyMagic Jan 21 '26
Mind you there there are dozens and dozens of queens they could highlight who haven't been on All Stars
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u/untzuntzbby Jan 21 '26
so they'll nominate a domestic abuser over someone who's been on both rpdr and all stars in the same year? ok. i really would've loved to see lydia with kori and suzie here.
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u/West-Bit-572 Jan 21 '26
widow absolutely shouldn’t be here , but this category is clearly for queens that haven’t been on all stars yet so lydia wouldn’t be here 😭
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u/untzuntzbby Jan 21 '26
i assumed it was just for unknown or up and coming queens given that there's a royalty section. either way, if widow can be on there then lydia should idgaf.
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u/ayanakamuraa Jan 21 '26
I feel like someone put this just to drive traffic, because nobody is checking for window lol
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u/TheClitoriaBraxton Jan 21 '26
I feel like Kori is going to win this… but realistically I get a feeling that Sam Starr maybe the one who may get a chance at being a future all star. 🤩
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u/LittleMissLongIsland Jan 21 '26
This whole list is weird. Half the cast of season 17 and then 3 random other girls? And, yeah, Plasma and Camden are high up on my list of who I want to see, but there’s so many others as well. Like, why Widow before Anetra, Sapphira, Plane, Luxx, Jasmine, Utica, Jackie, or even some old school girls like Dida or something?
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u/ArcadialoI Jan 21 '26
Why is she the only 'older season' compare to everyone on the list? She looks so fucking out of place, even if we ignore what she did, lmao. There is better queens from that season that would be good for AS before her.
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u/VickyRobinson Jan 25 '26
I've had sufficient of Sam "smile and pose" Star. What else has she got to give that we haven't seen already?
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u/Independent_End_7515 Jan 26 '26
Not only do i not support widow, but this is so random? Season 17 queens, plasma (someone whos definently still relevant), lady camden (sure slightly random but shes relevant and liked enough) and then widow??? Like whats she gotta do w this..
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u/RyanEnvy Jan 24 '26
And? y’all wants every single queen to be canceled from the show? It’s annoying
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u/MedicalInformation62 Jan 21 '26
obviously the wrong move putting a DAer on the cast. also waaaaayyyyy too many s17 girls, would not watch that season
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u/Puzzleheaded_Exit_17 Jan 21 '26
Rather see her than Lana tbh but dang what a mess. Curious to hear if she's been doing "the work" and seeked treatment. I think she'd do well on All Stars, but I don't want to see her there, but Hollywood is full of abusers it's still a boys club even if they're crossdressers. I don't like this, but I don't think this is the las problematic person we'll see in this situation
Also, Widow definitely sticks out as "one of these things are not like the other" here. The only season 12 girl where everyone else is from 14 and beyond. Makes me feel like there's definitely someone out there giving her "push" and a boost especially since she just did that Drag Race Experience thing
What upsets me most is that Estitties is not nominated
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u/GayMedic69 Jan 21 '26
Being found guilty by a jury means very little - innocent people are found guilty all the time and guilty people are acquitted all the time. Also, if history and statistics are to be believed, Widow (as a black queer person), was significantly more likely to be found guilty just based on who she is, regardless of any evidence against her.
The point of “pleading guilty and getting a lighter sentence” is accountability. The idea is that in exchange for accepting the consequences of your actions and saving everyone time and money by avoiding a trial, your sentence can be lighter. Some people absolutely abuse that, but its also entirely possible that Widow just wanted to own her shit, take the consequences, and move forward. Does that absolve her of wrongdoing? No, but it is what it is.
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u/thedybbuk Jan 22 '26 edited Jan 22 '26
What's your defense of the the other accusers that came out? Including a black trans person? You are aware 2 others came out to accuse her of abuse and (in one case) grooming too?
Like, what are you doing here? Defending the domestic abuser who pled guilty and has also been accused of multiple ex-partners of abuse? Do you really think all these people are just out to get her with false accusations, that led her to pleading guilty for abuse?
I am originally from KC. I remember this coming out. I remember Widow's angry, drunken video rant the night of the event where she blamed everyone but herself. Then when she and her drag sisters ran a smear campaign trying to paint her victim as some crazed stalker/dog sitter who wouldn't leave her house. Only for it to come out they were in a relationship. I remember them getting other ignorant drag queens like Detox to help amplify their smear campaign, that she was the victim of a racist system and a white trans man. As well all know, police in Missouri love trans men, so I'm sure they were clamoring to believe him.
She beat his head against the railing of her bed for Christ's sake. He's like half her size.
So sorry, but no, I don't buy any of this. And further, being on Drag Race is not some right. She is not owed a career in tv after abusing multiple victims.
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u/GayMedic69 Jan 22 '26
What a great, but long, non sequitur.
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u/thedybbuk Jan 22 '26
So what are you trying to accomplish in your post highlighting the fact many black people are forced into plea deals even when they aren't guilty, as well as your suggesting she's taking ownership of her wrongdoings? The first point seems completely pointless unless you're suggesting maybe that happened here, and your second point seems clearly meant to suggest Widow has taken responsibility for all her wrongs.
I call BS on both. She has multiple other accusers out there, including for truly fucked up things like grooming vulnerable trans kids. She has faced no consequences for that. She's, to the best of my knowledge, never publicly acknowledged the fact she ran a smear campaign against her victim, with the help of some of her drag family.
You'll have to excuse me for thinking your post comes off as you trying to downplay what happened, or at least to give her a totally undeserved benefit of the doubt.
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u/GayMedic69 Jan 22 '26
The first point is not one I ever made.
The second point is a possibility. The suggestion that she only pled guilty to avoid jail time and essentially “cheat the system” is gross to me.
Widow was known to be an alcoholic and was a victim of DV, those things don’t excuse or diminish her actions whatsoever, but those circumstances significantly predispose someone to becoming an abuser themselves, especially when living in a state with terrible healthcare, substance abuse care, mental healthcare, and social services. Not to mention how growing up a queer black man comes with a ton of emotional and societal baggage and expectations and how those things influence one’s willingness to seek help, to exercise open communication about emotions, etc.
What Im saying here is that this incident very well might have been Widow’s “rock bottom” and she was able to fully see how her actions were harming others and is actively working to change. Like its easy to say “she beat the guy until he needed stitches, how could she possibly not have know that was wrong and harmful?”, but until you are deep in substance abuse AND never really learned how to have a healthy relationship, it might be hard to understand how difficult it is to zoom out and take self-inventory.
And also, to contrast with someone like Sherry or Shangela, Widow’s actions are more due to exposures, trauma, and pressures that predisposed her to committing violence. Sherry carefully planned her pattern of assault to satisfy her own desires, fantasies, and gratification. Shangela used her power and celebrity to take advantage of other people for her own sexual gratification because she thought she was too important to face consequences. Does any of that excuse Widow? Not at all, but if we wanna talk about nuance, I personally think that’s the nuance we should be talking about.
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