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‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Star Dies at 51

The star competed in the first season of “RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under.”

RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under star Maxi Shield has died at age 51 of an undisclosed cause. Vanity, a friend of Shield’s, announced the star’s death via Instagram, saying, “We are all mourning the loss of an incredible icon, friend, and our beloved sister. Thank you for the laughs, the cackles, and the magic you brought into our lives.” Her cause of death was not revealed, but the star had announced a throat cancer diagnosis in the fall of 2025. The drag queen was a contestant on the first season of RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under, the Australian edition of the uber-famous reality show RuPaul’s Drag Race, where she came in sixth place. After her run on reality TV, she continued to pursue her drag artistry, attempting to set a world record in 2020 for the largest Drag Queen Story Time event. Born Kristopher Elliot, she also starred in the 2023 movie The Winner Takes It All. She was also a regular performer at Universal Sydney, a major LGBT nightlife venue in Australia. The venue’s licensee, Dillon Shaw, said, “There has never been a time I can remember when Maxi wasn’t an iconic presence,” and added that she was “touching hearts not only across the country but around the world.”