Monica Beverly Hillz
Monica Beverly Hillz | |
---|---|
Born | 1985 (age 38–39) season 5 )
season 8 ) |
Monica Dejesus-Anaya, known by the stage persona Monica Beverly Hillz, is an American
In 2014, after her run on season five of Drag Race, she was included by the Windy City Times on their list of "30 Under 30" for individuals displaying the "best LGBTQIA activism, business, culture, non-profit work and more". Bustle named her one of the "most popular" RPDR alum.[3][4] In 2015, she performed at the MTV Video Music Awards with Miley Cyrus for her live performance of "Dooo It!", along with a cast of other well-known drag queens and RPDR alum.[5][6]
Biography
Dejesus-Anaya is of
At age 17, Dejesus-Anaya attended her first
While living in Kentucky, Dejesus-Anaya worked at Macy's for a year and nine months, where she experienced discrimination from certain individuals. In Illinois, she worked as an escort while using narcotics, during which time she stated she was robbed and sexually assaulted. Due to the experiences while working as an escort, she has dealt with sleep issues and nightmares.[14]
Hillz had her
Career
RuPaul's Drag Race
In 2013, Dejesus-Anaya was a contestant on the fifth season of the American television reality competition RuPaul's Drag Race. Previously, she had auditioned for
While distracted, Dejesus-Anaya did well in week 1. RuPaul commented that Dejesus-Anaya looked like
Monica Beverly Hillz later competed on the
Post-RuPaul's Drag Race
Dejesus-Anaya joined the Chicago-based gay Feast of Fun podcast in 2013.[27]
In December 2014, Dejesus-Anaya was one of the subjects of a photo series called WERKS, shot by Nestor Photography. The show was held at Chicago designer Michelle Tan's boutique Michelle Tan Clothing. Other drag queens featured in the series included RPDR alum Gia Gunn (season 6), Dida Ritz (season 4), and Jade Jolie (season 5).[28]
In 2015, Dejesus-Anaya joined other drag queens to film the music video for singer Glenn Stewart's cover of "(Here it Comes) Around Again", originally performed by RuPaul. Other drag queens who joined for the video included RPDR alum JujuBee (season 2), Kelly Mantle (season 6), Jade Sotomayor (season 1), Jade Jolie (season 5), Joslyn Fox (season 6), and Jaidynn Diore Fierce (season 7).[29][30][31] In 2015, Puerto Rican gay scholar Lawrence La Fountain-Stokes presented a talk titled "The Drag of Poverty" in which he discussed Dejesus-Anaya's experiences in relation to those of other Puerto Rican performers, namely Erika Lopez and Holly Woodlawn. The talk is part of a book project La Fountain-Stokes is working on called Translocas: Trans Diasporic Puerto Rican Drag.[32]
Dejesus-Anaya has continued to perform and make appearances up through 2015,[33][34][35] including RuPaul's first Drag Con, held May 16–17, 2015, at the Los Angeles Convention Center.[36]
After her first appearance on Drag Race, in around 2021, she nearly quit drag entirely with the goal of making time for her mental health after years of traveling and publicity as a result of her fame. However, after personal introspection brought upon by her quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic, she decided not to quit drag.[15]
Activism
In 2013, American actress Amanda Bynes insulted RuPaul on Twitter, tweeting, "My dad is as ugly as RuPaul! So thankful I look nothing like you both! I had nose surgery after my mug shots so my nose and I are gorgeous!" Dejesus-Anaya came to RuPaul's defense, telling Bynes to "clean herself up" and "get a better wig".[37]
In 2014, Dejesus-Anaya and
In 2015, when unconfirmed rumors began circulating that Caitlyn Jenner was undergoing a gender transition, In Touch Weekly released a cover with a male-presenting Caitlyn in photoshopped makeup. The cover was widely criticized, and Dejesus-Anaya released a statement saying "I think it's so wrong in so many ways for them to poke fun and do such things to someone... They know nothing about just to make money and make a mockery of trans people everywhere. They need to educate instead of just doing nonsense like that."[40]
In 2018, Dejesus-Anaya spoke out against RuPaul for stating that contestants who were in the process of a physical transition would "probably not" be allowed on Drag Race, with Monica retorting back that "I've always been a woman, so what I've done to my body or that I hadn't started hormones while on the show doesn't take away my identity".[41] RuPaul has since let "out" transgender competitors such as Gottmik, Kerri Colby, and Sasha Colby compete on the show.[41]
In 2023, after her elimination from
Discography
Singles
As featured artist
Title | Year | Album |
---|---|---|
"Money, Success, Fame, Glamour" (Glam Rock version) (with the cast of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, season 8 )
|
2023 | Non-album single |
Filmography
Year | Title | Role |
---|---|---|
2012 | TheQU: Dida Ritz & Monica Beverly Hillz talk Vogue for Tots | Self[43] |
2012 | I Am Monica: Monica Beverly Hillz Documentary | Self[44] |
2013 | RuPaul's Drag Race |
12th Place (Eliminated in Episode 3) |
2013 | Rupaul's Drag Race: Untucked! | 3 Episodes |
2013 | SocialScope Interview: Monica Beverly Hillz Gets Personal in New SocialScope Interview | Self[45] |
2023 | RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars
|
Herself / Contestant[46] |
2023 | RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars: Untucked |
Web series
Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2019 | Detailz | Herself | Guest | [47] |
2023 | Meet the Queens | Herself | Stand-alone special RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 8 |
[48] |
2023 | EW News Flash | Herself | Guest | [49] |
2023 | BuzzFeed Celeb | Herself | Guest | [50] |
References
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- ^ a b Nolfi, Joey. "RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 8 queen Monica Beverly Hillz on stepping back from drag for activism: 'It drives me'". ew.com. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
- ^ Oliver, Angela (31 December 2012). "Owensboro Man to Compete on TV Drag Show". Messenger-Inquirer. Archived from the original on 20 April 2023. Retrieved 27 September 2015 – via Newspaper Source - EBSCOhost.
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- ^ "The Drag of Poverty: Erika Lopez, Holly Woodlawn, and Monica Beverly Hillz, Welfar Queens". University of Washington. April 9, 2015. Archived from the original on 27 September 2015. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
- ^ a b Maloney, Ian. "Rupaul's Drag Race Season 5 – Monica Beverly Hillz". Hotspots Magazine. Archived from the original on 1 October 2015. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
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- ^ a b Michaelson, Noah (February 2, 2013). "Monica Beverly Hillz, 'RuPaul's Drag Race' Contestant, Discusses Coming Out As Transgender". Huffington Post. Archived from the original on 29 September 2015. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
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- ^ a b Nolfi, Joey. "Monica Beverly Hillz reveals why she was almost 'done with drag' before RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 8". ew.com. Entertainment Werkly. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
- NBC Universal. 29 August 2023. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
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- ^ "Another reason why 'Drag Race' is the best reality show on TV". Dallas Voice. February 5, 2013. Archived from the original on 1 October 2015. Retrieved 1 October 2015.
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- ^ Stransky, Tanner (February 5, 2013). "'RuPaul's Drag Race' react: Monica Beverly Hillz talks to EW about her shocking runway revelation". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 28 September 2015. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
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- ^ a b "'Drag Race' Contestant Monica Beverly Hillz Responds to RuPaul's Transitioning Comments: "Our Bodies Do Not Equate Our…". intomore.com. INTO. 4 March 2018. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
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- ^ The Queens Of "RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 8" Play Who's Who. BuzzFeed Celeb. May 15, 2023. Retrieved 2023-05-18.