{"id":2378874,"date":"2026-04-18T12:25:38","date_gmt":"2026-04-18T12:25:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2378874"},"modified":"2026-04-18T12:25:38","modified_gmt":"2026-04-18T12:25:38","slug":"rupauls-drag-race-season-18-winner-myki-meeks-wants-negative-fans-to-back-off-queens-bitch-lighten-up-exclusive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/rupauls-drag-race-season-18-winner-myki-meeks-wants-negative-fans-to-back-off-queens-bitch-lighten-up-exclusive\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cRuPaul&#8217;s Drag Race\u201d season 18 winner Myki Meeks wants negative fans to back off queens: &#8216;Bitch, lighten up&#8217; (exclusive)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div>\n<figure class=\"content-figure flex justify-center mb-[1em] mx-auto\">\n<div style=\"max-width:1242px\">\n<div class=\"content-image\"><\/div><figcaption class=\"fig-caption\">\n<p><i>&#8216;RuPaul&#8217;s Drag Race&#8217; season 18 winner Myki Meeks<br \/>Credit: MTV<\/i><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"heading\">Key Points<\/h3>\n<ul class=\"content-list\">\n<li>\n<div class=\"\">\n<p>Myki Meeks exclusively speaks to <em>Entertainment Weekly <\/em>moments after being crowned America&#8217;s Drag Superstar.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div class=\"\">\n<p>The <em>RuPaul&#8217;s Drag Race<\/em> season 18 winner emotionally breaks down her ascent to the throne.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div class=\"\">\n<p>She also reacts to the biggest moments of the season, from her Rate-A-Queen drama to meeting her <em>Snatch Game<\/em> celebrity Drew Barrymore.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/myki-meeks-11860061\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Myki Meeks;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link rapid-noclick-resp\">Myki Meeks<\/a> has officially traveled from the bottom of the barrel as a <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=yLBiq6M6Vd8\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:savagely wronged Rate-A-Queen victim;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link rapid-noclick-resp\">savagely wronged Rate-A-Queen victim<\/a> to the top of the pack as the winner of <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/rupauls-drag-race\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:RuPaul's Drag Race;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link rapid-noclick-resp\"><em>RuPaul&#8217;s Drag Race<\/em><\/a> season 18.<\/p>\n<p>The Orlando-based drag entertainer is the latest inductee into the <em>RuPaul&#8217;s Drag Race <\/em>winner&#8217;s circle, after rising through the season 18 ranks to win the last three main challenges in a row before taking the crown \u2014 and a $200,000 check.<\/p>\n<p>Now, after courting fan affection with her ace impression of Drew Barrymore on <em>Snatch Game<\/em> to stunning on the runway in the Drag Family Resemblance challenge, Myki exclusively speaks with <em>Entertainment Weekly<\/em> moments after her coronation, dishing on the charisma, uniqueness, nerve, talent, and \u2014 as her self-made lip-sync number at the top of the finale professed \u2014 <em>versatility<\/em> that won her the crown.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with\u00a0our\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/ew-dispatch-newsletter-11812417\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:EW Dispatch newsletter;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link rapid-noclick-resp\"><strong><em>EW Dispatch newsletter<\/em><\/strong><\/a><strong>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Read on for Myki&#8217;s exclusive winner interview with EW.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"content-figure flex justify-center mb-[1em] mx-auto\">\n<div style=\"max-width:1242px\">\n<div class=\"content-image\"><img alt=\"'RuPaul's Drag Race' season 18 finalists Darlene Mitchell, Myki Meeks, Nini CocoCredit: MTV (3)\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1242\" height=\"828\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"standard-img w-full w-full h-auto\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/c_pMBCIDgweajJaiM96fjA--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD04Mjg-\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/aol_entertainment_weekly_articles_368\/b5b8b7396d8014112a923db6355cf553\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"fig-caption\">\n<p><i>&#8216;RuPaul&#8217;s Drag Race&#8217; season 18 finalists Darlene Mitchell, Myki Meeks, Nini Coco<br \/>Credit: MTV (3)<\/i><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p><strong>ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: After overcoming the Rate-A-Queen disaster, you\u2019re now the first &#8220;BOWLICIOUS,&#8221; first &#8220;Miranda-Cosgrove-Type-of-White,&#8221; <em>and<\/em> first Disney Adult to win <em>RuPaul\u2019s Drag Race<\/em>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Hang on now. I think <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/person\/ginger-minj\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Ginger [Minj];elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link rapid-noclick-resp\">Ginger [Minj]<\/a> got that title!<\/p>\n<p><strong>How does it feel to break down those barriers for representation?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>We need representation for everybody, so if I have to be that type of, &#8220;Are you Asian?&#8221; type of representation, I\u2019ll take it.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What would <\/strong><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/person\/drew-barrymore\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Drew Barrymore;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link rapid-noclick-resp\"><strong>Drew Barrymore<\/strong><\/a><strong> say about this victory?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>[<em>Does Drew Barrymore impression<\/em>] Myki, this is just so incredible. I knew it was going to happen. I knew it, I knew it.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Do you have any unrevealed tea or <\/strong><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=QSzYX7MKeBA\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:backstage moments with Drew or experiences with her;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link rapid-noclick-resp\"><strong>backstage moments with Drew or experiences with her<\/strong><\/a><strong> when you went on her show earlier this year?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I did tell her, you need to be a guest judge. She was like, &#8220;I know, I can\u2019t believe I\u2019ve never done it.&#8221; I would love to see her on the show. Maybe season 19, we\u2019ll see.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Do you think you convinced her?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I think so! I think she\u2019s now part of the <em>Drag Race<\/em> lexicon.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What\u2019s the craziest DM you\u2019ve received from a fellow <em>Drag Race <\/em>queen during your time on season 18? Anything particularly wild or shocking?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/plane-jane-8620566\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Plane Jane;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link rapid-noclick-resp\">Plane Jane<\/a> has messaged me some incendiary things just to say hello. I\u2019m like, you can just say hello! <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/person\/bob-the-drag-queen\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Bob the Drag Queen;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link rapid-noclick-resp\">Bob the Drag Queen<\/a> did message me in the middle of the season, \u201cAre you Asian?\u201d Unfortunately, no. Me and Miranda Cosgrove and Bj\u00f6rk!<\/p>\n<figure class=\"content-figure flex justify-center mb-[1em] mx-auto\">\n<div style=\"max-width:640px\">\n<div class=\"content-image\"><img alt=\"Myki Meeks on 'RuPaul's Drag Race' season 18 finaleCredit: MTV\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"960\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"standard-img w-full w-full h-auto\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/_vppoy7lvEjEitmOXDEEpQ--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD0xODYz\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/aol_entertainment_weekly_articles_368\/a6081ed115b17ee7e66c7858563af813\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"fig-caption\">\n<p><i>Myki Meeks on &#8216;RuPaul&#8217;s Drag Race&#8217; season 18 finale<br \/>Credit: MTV<\/i><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p><strong>Is there anything you\u2019d like to say now to any review show queens or show alums? Did you have any issues with anyone\u2019s commentary through the season?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Yeah, I just think that everyone\u2019s been through this. I feel like the alumni, no shade, is voicing their opinion to a fanbase that validates the negativity. I\u2019m now going to be on the other side, so maybe I\u2019ll see that it\u2019s more fun to do that, I just thought we could\u2019ve had a little bit more grace, especially in a time when everything is rage bait.<\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aol.com\/lifestyle\/rupauls-drag-race-star-discord-160000003.html\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Discord Addams had some choice words for Law Roach this season;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link rapid-noclick-resp\"><strong>Discord Addams had some choice words for Law Roach this season<\/strong><\/a><strong>. Now that you don\u2019t have to kiss the judges\u2019 butts, what did you think of how the judging played out this season?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It worked in my favor. It wasn\u2019t always shown, but Michelle did always have a critique for me. She didn\u2019t have critiques for Jane! You could tell she wants the most out of you, I could tell where it was coming from. As for Law Roach, I think he\u2019s really good at what he does, he knows how to get people talking and he knows how to make a moment out of his time being there. If he was to say something as rude as he did to Discord? Discord is the one who can brush it off. But, I think they both did what they were asked to do.<\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/person\/miley-cyrus\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Miley Cyrus;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link rapid-noclick-resp\"><strong>Miley Cyrus<\/strong><\/a><strong> was on this episode. Did you have any backstage moments with Miley or any moments of connection while filming the finale?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>We did not know Miley was there until we walked out for that final lip-sync. They were like, Miley Cyrus is here! She was our No. 1 cheerleader, she was screaming with us. I remember she looked at my outfit as she walked out like, oh, yes. Fun fact, me and Miley Cyrus go way back. I saw Miley Cyrus perform at Typhoon Lagoon the week of the <em>Hannah Montana<\/em> before. I love you Miley, I\u2019ve known you for a long time. Then I went into the wave pool and knocked a tooth because I was so tiny and the wave hit me. [I lost a tooth] for Miley Cyrus, yeah. Can I say something kind of serendipitous? My best friend Galvin, he\u2019s the DJ at my local show, he closes every DJ set out with \u201cThe Climb\u201d by Miley Cyrus. And who was there to close out season 18? Miley Cyrus.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Who do you think was the most undeserved elimination\/or robbed queen of the season?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I do think <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/jane-don-t-11860056\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Jane [Don't];elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link rapid-noclick-resp\">Jane [Don&#8217;t]<\/a> deserved to be in the top. I believe that <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/athena-dion-11860037\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Athena [Dion];elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link rapid-noclick-resp\">Athena [Dion]<\/a> had more to show as well. And <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/dd-fuego-11860053\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:DD Fuego;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link rapid-noclick-resp\">DD Fuego<\/a>!<\/p>\n<p><strong>We\u2019re seeing drag queens and trans people come under attack from the current presidential administration, people like <\/strong><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aol.com\/lifestyle\/drag-race-star-kenya-pleasers-140002310.html\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Libs of TikTok and Rep. Nancy Mace are targeting;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link rapid-noclick-resp\"><strong>Libs of TikTok and Rep. Nancy Mace are targeting<\/strong><\/a><strong> your sisters like <\/strong><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/kenya-pleaser-11860058\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Kenya Pleaser;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link rapid-noclick-resp\"><strong>Kenya Pleaser<\/strong><\/a><strong> who are performing on college campuses. As the reigning crowned queen, how do you think your constituents and fans should respond to attacks like this? How can we combat this?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I think it needs to go beyond just social media protests. We need to be really making the impact with our politicians and making sure we\u2019re showing up to these town halls and letting them know how we feel. Republicans, a lot of politicians are playing into the hands of people who fund them, and they\u2019re not good people. They\u2019re targeting a very tiny population in this whole country who aren\u2019t doing anything wrong. What are you dealing with inside to think you can incite people to hate on a very small minority? I think it\u2019s human nature to do so, but as a queer community, we\u2019ve been through everything, so we\u2019ve got to continue fighting. For the young people out there, the community is out there, we\u2019ll welcome you with open arms. The more we can use our voice to fight against the hate, the better our country will be&#8230;. I&#8217;m from Florida, I&#8217;ve seen it all. Lost a tooth in Florida, it&#8217;s in that wave pool somewhere!<\/p>\n<figure class=\"content-figure flex justify-center mb-[1em] mx-auto\">\n<div style=\"max-width:1242px\">\n<div class=\"content-image\"><img alt=\"Myki Meeks, Darlene Mitchell, Nini Coco on 'RuPaul's Drag Race' season 18 finaleCredit: MTV (3)\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1242\" height=\"828\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"standard-img w-full w-full h-auto\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/sd2yydOye6SRdBXjZy3ckg--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD04Mjg-\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/aol_entertainment_weekly_articles_368\/a602dc4a79cda6b0387ed310b1351d23\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"fig-caption\">\n<p><i>Myki Meeks, Darlene Mitchell, Nini Coco on &#8216;RuPaul&#8217;s Drag Race&#8217; season 18 finale<br \/>Credit: MTV (3)<\/i><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p><strong>Whose winner trajectory would you most like to emulate?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I would love to emulate <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/person\/sasha-velour\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Sasha Velour;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link rapid-noclick-resp\">Sasha Velour<\/a>\u2019s. I think she\u2019s someone who already knew what she wanted out of the show and was able to produce and direct her own future with the platform that Drag Race gave her. She\u2019s a big inspiration.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Anything else you want to say now that you\u2019re America\u2019s Drag Superstar?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I hope to continue to make everybody proud and show you that I do this, and I love doing it. I want to continue to inspire and gain the respect of those before me, and create a platform for others to join in on, because drag is fun. For those who spread continuous whatever online? Bitch, lighten up, it\u2019s a drag show. Have a good time. Put a wig on, change your life.<\/p>\n<p>Read the original article on <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/rupauls-drag-race-season-18-winner-myki-meeks-interview-exclusive-11952920\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Entertainment Weekly;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link rapid-noclick-resp\">Entertainment Weekly<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.aol.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8216;RuPaul&#8217;s Drag Race&#8217; season 18 winner Myki MeeksCredit: MTV Key Points Myki Meeks exclusively speaks to Entertainment Weekly moments after being crowned America&#8217;s Drag Superstar. The RuPaul&#8217;s Drag Race season 18 winner emotionally breaks down her ascent to the throne. She also reacts to the biggest moments of the season, from her Rate-A-Queen drama to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2378875,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25177],"tags":[346038,352451,348806,351270,22623,338944,463120,422816,350652],"class_list":["post-2378874","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-celebrities","tag-bob-the-drag-queen","tag-drag-race","tag-drew-barrymore","tag-entertainment-weekly","tag-miley-cyrus","tag-miranda-cosgrove","tag-myki","tag-rupaul39s-drag-race","tag-season-18"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/RuPauls-Drag-Race-season-18-winner-Myki-Meeks-wants-negative.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2378874","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2378874"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2378874\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2378876,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2378874\/revisions\/2378876"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2378875"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2378874"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2378874"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2378874"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}