Not since Jujubee and Raven’s deeply moving, tear-filled All Stars 1 lip-sync has RuPaul’s Drag Race mounted such a motherquake of emotions during a Main Stage face-off.
After the judges placed them in the bottom two, Friday night’s installment saw international Miami-Greece drag superstar Athena Dion duke it out against her granddaugther, dancing diva Juicy Love Dion, in a lip-sync gauntlet to “Call Me When You Break Up” by Selena Gomez, Gracie Abrams, and guest judge Benny Blanco.
The moment ended with Athena taking a knee, letting her beloved drag grandchild sit on her lap as they both burst into tears while Athena mouthed the song’s symbolic lyrics, “You know I’m always here so don’t ever be a stranger.”
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The moment left the entire cast in tears, with Athena ultimately sashaying away from the competition — but her impact lingering in the hearts of fans (and Juicy) forever.
Now, after the painful on-set moment, Athena reacts to the devastating lip-sync in her Entertainment Weekly exit interview. She also reacts to Pit Stop host Bianca Del Rio shading her on episodes of the recap show, her drag daughter Plane Jane‘s (alleged) jokes about the star quality of season 18, and why she wanted to “fall on the sword” for Juicy in the heat of her Drag Race elimination.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: You wore many eyes in the Werk Room. In hindsight, who were your ops?
You have to know all eyes will be on you. I tried diverting energy back to them, and kept my eyes on the prize to ward off jealousy, negativity, or wishes of downfall.
You can just say Briar Blush.
She didn’t last long enough, so… [Laughs]
Last week, Snatch Game drew pointed reactions from fans, many of whom said that original characters like yours, Greta, should be banned. Where do you stand on that?
I love these professional Snatch Game impersonators chiming in to tell me what I should’ve done. I didn’t know everybody was so proficient in Snatch Game. Unless you’re there, shut the f— up. Actually? Don’t. Because I love the interaction and engagement. I’m glad it stirred reaction. I went on Drag Race to be memorable, and I achieved that. When RuPaul looks you dead in the eye and tells you he doesn’t like the character and to do something Greek, you better pull out the souvlaki and tzatziki.
Your drag relative, Plane Jane, said in a recent interview that she didn’t see star quality on season 18, and that she was underwhelmed by the cast. You replied, telling her she was “disowned.” She said she was just joking. Do you believe she was joking?
I don’t think anybody should ever take anything Plane Jane says as serious. I don’t think she ever knows what she’s talking about. If there’s anybody who made a career off shock value, it’s Plane Jane. She keeps people talking. That’s a Dion family trait I have to commend her for. There are obviously stars on the show because, hello, I’m a star, and I’m on the show. And literal Starrs: Vita and Mia. The funny thing about Plane is she was dragged, that quote got her in so much hot water. She said it off the cuff, but I don’t think the season 18 girlies were too happy to see that.
Bianca Del Rio also had a lot to say on Pit Stop. She came for you early. Is there history with you two? It almost seems flirtatious!
Every time she talks about me, I get really hot. It turns me on. Somebody that has this much feeling about me? Throw me down in the bedroom and call me Sally. It’s sexy to me. We’ve worked together twice before. I’m trying to remember, did I take her mirror by accident? Did I borrow something and not give it back? I wonder what sparked this. We were getting along just fine! I’ve been the object of her affection all season. I watch Pit Stop, but I hold my finger on the screen to fast-forward until she talks about me. She caused me to watch Pit Stop more. Otherwise, I don’t think I’d watch.
Have you heard from her?
I tag her all the time. I ask if she wants to take me out. I want to know what she likes to do on the weekends. I’m looking to build on this relationship, because there’s obviously something there. There’s chemistry. I spark something within her. I want to explore that further. If she’s willing to give it a go, babe, I’m here for you! I’m totally open!
A formal date request?
Yeah. I think she needs to put all that energy in the right place, and I have the spot right here, ready for her.
Back to the lip-sync against Juicy, were you surprised that it ended up being you two in the bottom, or did you expect that, as fans predicted?
We got the call [to do Drag Race] within minutes of each other. I got it first, so I had five minutes to relish in it, then the harsh reality of Juicy getting the call. I was excited, but I immediately felt this weight of, we’re going against each other in the biggest competition in the world. We always had this looming idea of whether or not we’re lip-syncing against each other, both of us aren’t going to win.
Somehow, the drag gods put us into that final lip-sync. There’s no one else in the cast that I would’ve let or preferred to send me home. If I had to choose, I know everybody would say anybody but Juicy; I’d say Juicy or no one. I wouldn’t want to go home by any of those girls. I’d want Juicy to be the one to send me home.
MTV
When you sat down and let Juicy sit on your lap, was that you accepting that you were eliminated? Did you let Juicy win?
“Let” isn’t the word I’d use. I didn’t want to go home. I’ve always been a lap for her, a shoulder for her, a steppingstone for her. We’re at two different parts of our career. I walked into that show as a drag superstar. Juicy came in as a green queen searching for who she is…. This was an opportunity to fall on the sword and let her climb up farther, because I felt like I could do it [for her]. This isn’t me saying that I let her win, it was a maternal instinct, soulmate reaction.
To clarify, when you say “fall on the sword,” you were wrapped up in the emotion, and felt compelled and wanted to fall on the sword for Juicy?
I don’t think there’s ever a moment where I’d want to defeat Juicy. I don’t think she wanted to, either. That’s why we ended in an embrace. It’s so symbolic. It’s like, nobody’s winning here, because we’re losing the other one. Going into the competition, I had two opportunities to win. I didn’t look at it as me or her. One of us wins, the other one wins. It was more like, “Go finish this — for us.”
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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