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Naysha Lopez

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Naysha Lopez
Born
Fabian Rodriguez

(1984-06-20) June 20, 1984 (age 40)
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Occupation(s)Drag performer, beauty pageant participant
Television
AwardsMiss Continental 2013

Naysha Lopez is the stage name of drag performer and beauty pageant winner Fabian Rodriguez (born June 20, 1984), who won the 2013 Miss Continental competition and appeared on the eighth seasons of both RuPaul's Drag Race and RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars.[1]

Career

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After competing on the beauty pageant circuit, Naysha Lopez won the 2013 Miss Continental competition.[2][3]

Naysha Lopez competed on the eighth season of RuPaul's Drag Race in 2016,[4][5] after building a drag career in Puerto Rico and Chicago.[6] She was the first queen eliminated, losing the lip sync battle to "Applause" by Lady Gaga against Laila McQueen.[7] Naysha was quickly brought back to the show for ep. 3 after a lackluster performance on ep. 2 by McQueen and Dax ExclamationPoint resulted in their dual-elimination;[8] Naysha subsequently placed in the bottom two again and lost another lipsync, this time against Chi Chi DeVayne to Blondie's "Call Me", and became the fourth queen on the show to be eliminated twice in the same season (after Carmen Carrera, Kenya Michaels, and Trixie Mattel). Queerty's Timothy Allen said she was "one of the most beautiful queens to ever compete on the show".[9] Similarly, Michael Cook of South Florida Gay News said she was "arguably one of the most stunningly gorgeous queens to ever stomp the runway" on the series, to date.[10]

At RuPaul's DragCon LA convention in 2018, Naysha Lopez and Tempest DuJour tied for "fan favorite" in the “RuPaul's DragCon Pageant”, an event where "queens who were eliminated first on their seasons battled it out for the crowd", according to Patrick Crowley of Billboard magazine.[11]

In 2021, Rodriguez was first runner-up in the Mr. Continental competition,[12] winning in the swimsuit category.[13]

In 2022, Naysha Lopez was among a group of drag queens who performed on-stage with Jennifer Lopez at the iHeartRadio Music Awards.[14] The performance was a "full-circle" moment for Naysha, as she has repeatedly expressed admiration for Lopez as an artist, performer and businesswoman on many occasions, posting on Instagram in 2019: "Jennifer Lopez will always be a huge inspiration for me and my drag. Her take on Fashion and work ethic is like no other."[15] In 2023, she returned and competed on the eighth season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars,[16] ultimately being eliminated on episode 2 after she placed in the bottom two contestants, alongside Kahanna Montrese. The surprise lip-sync "assassin" of the episode, Thai drag performer Pangina Heals, won in a lip-sync against challenge winner Jimbo to Cyndi Lauper's "She Bop", and, as she received the majority of the votes to be eliminated from the safe queens, Naysha was sent home, placing eleventh out of twelve queens.

Personal life

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Rodriguez has a working class background,[17] and is a licensed cosmetologist.[13] Rodriguez's family moved back into Puerto Rico until the age of 7 before moving back to Chicago.[18] He spent most of his life in Chicago, attending Lane Tech College Prep High School (graduating class of 2002), and, in 2023, was living on the city's Northwest Side and working in Lake View, also known as Boystown. She also lived in Belmont Cragin,[19] in 2016, and Elmwood Park, Illinois.[20]

As Naysha Lopez, Rodriguez hosts a popular weekly viewing party for RuPaul’s Drag Race, live-streamed from Chicago gay bar Roscoe's Tavern on YouTube. Along with co-hosts Kara Mel and Batty Davis, the event features anywhere from 2-4 guests, usually other queens from the show, as well as occasional judges from the series or other media personalities. Other guests at Roscoe's have included contestants and winners from Canada's Drag Race and RuPaul's Drag Race UK. The group gives intermittent commentary during and after the episode, with behind-the-scenes gossip and information often being revealed, hence there is a strict no-filming policy at the bar.[21][22][23][24][25]

Naysha Lopez is a member of the House of Hall, a drag family headed by pageantry icon Tajma Hall (1970–2014),[26] which includes fellow Drag Race contestants DiDa Ritz (season 4), Jaida Essence Hall (season 12 winner) and Kahmora Hall (season 13).[27]

As of 2024, Rodriguez is currently residing in Los Angeles, explaining in a podcast interview with fellow Drag Race alum Delta Work that he values the position hosting the viewing parties at Roscoe's Tavern (in Chicago) so much that he travels weekly between California and Illinois, stating: "I do my thing every week, and I have one of the best jobs, ever…Roscoe's has really stepped-up and shown appreciation for their talent."[28] Rodriguez is currently dating Jason Hughes.[29]

Discography

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Singles

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[edit]
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

[30]

Filmography

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Television

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List of television credits
Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2016 RuPaul's Drag Race (season 8) Herself/Contestant 9th place [31]
RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked
2018 The Jam Herself Guest [32]
2023 RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars (season 8) Herself/Contestant 11th Place [33]
RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars: Untucked

Web series

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List of web series credits
Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2016 Meet the Queens Herself Stand-alone special
RuPaul's Drag Race Season 8 		[34]
2017 Backhanded Compliments Herself Guest [35]
2017 VideoOut Herself Guest [36]
2017 Hey Qween! Herself Guest [37]
2019 Kiki with Kimora Blac Herself Guest [38]
2019 Out Of The Closet Herself Guest [39]
2022 Naysha Lopez: White Sox Pride Night Herself Stand-alone special [40]
2022 The Pit Stop Herself Guest [41]
2023 Meet the Queens Herself Stand-alone special
RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 8 		[42]
2023 EW News Flash Herself Guest [43]
2023 BuzzFeed Celeb Herself Guest [44]

References

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  1. ^ Lopez, David (September 29, 2021). "Move Over Naysha Lopez, Fabian is Hottie of the Week". Instinct. ISSN 1096-0058. Archived from the original on December 13, 2022. Retrieved January 15, 2023.
  2. ^ Alonzo, Michelle Konopka (2023-01-04). "Why Sasha Colby Is The One To Beat On RuPaul's Drag Race Season 15". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on 2023-01-14. Retrieved 2023-01-16.
  3. ^ "Naysha Lopez wins Miss Continental 2013 title". ChicagoPride.com. Archived from the original on 2021-10-20. Retrieved 2023-01-16.
  4. ^ "'Drag Race' Alum Naysha Lopez Won Mr. Continental 2022's Swim Category". Out. 2021-09-08. ISSN 1062-7928. Archived from the original on 2022-12-13. Retrieved 2022-12-13.
  5. ^ Patterson, Denny (September 9, 2021). "Naysha Lopez Wins First Place in Swimsuit Category". Instinct. Archived from the original on December 13, 2022. Retrieved January 15, 2023.
  6. ^ Tenreyro, Tatiana (2017-11-02). "Puerto Rican 'Drag Race' Alumni Talk Show's Impact on the Island Ahead of Benefit Concert". Billboard. ISSN 0006-2510. Archived from the original on 2021-12-29. Retrieved 2023-01-16.
  7. ^ Sim, Bernardo (2022-01-15). "RuPaul's Drag Race: Every First Eliminated Queen In History". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on 2022-02-04. Retrieved 2023-01-16.
  8. ^ Sim, Bernardo (2019-10-07). "RuPaul's Drag Race: 5 Best Returning Queens Ever (& 5 Worst)". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on 2019-10-07. Retrieved 2023-01-16.
  9. ^ Allen, Timothy (13 March 2016). "Don't F*ck With A Pageant Queen Or She Might Put Glass In Your Face Powder". Queerty. Archived from the original on 2022-01-19. Retrieved 2023-01-16.
  10. ^ Cook, Michael. "Interview with Naysha Lopez After her Drag Race Elimination". South Florida Gay News. Archived from the original on 2017-07-01. Retrieved 2023-01-16.
  11. ^ Crowley, Patrick (2018-05-15). "5 Highlights From RuPaul's DragCon LA 2018, Day 3: Porkchop's Ru-Demption, Miss Vangie & More". Billboard. Archived from the original on 2023-01-16. Retrieved 2023-01-16.
  12. ^ Ermac, Raffy (8 September 2021). "'Drag Race' Alum Naysha Lopez Won Mr. Continental 2021's Swimsuit Category". www.Out.com.
  13. ^ a b Dee, Jake (2021-10-14). "RuPaul's Drag Race Season 8 Queens: Where Are They Now?". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on 2022-04-27. Retrieved 2023-01-16.
  14. ^ "Here Are the Drag Queens Who Performed on Stage With Jennifer Lopez". Pride.com. Here Media. Archived from the original on 2022-12-13. Retrieved 2023-01-16.
  15. ^ Lopez, Naysha (23 October 2019). "Here is another one.... Jennifer lopez will always be a huge inspiration for me and my drag. ..." Instagram. …Jennifer lopez will always be a huge inspiration for me and my drag. Her take on Fashion and work ethic is like no other.
  16. ^ Nolfi, Joey (April 20, 2023). "'RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 8' cast of returning queens revealed". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2023-04-20.
  17. ^ Delgadillo, Theresa; Rivera-Servera, Ramon H.; Cadava, Geraldo L.; Fox, Claire F. (2022-07-12). Building Sustainable Worlds: Latinx Placemaking in the Midwest. University of Illinois Press. ISBN 978-0-252-05354-2. Archived from the original on 2023-01-16. Retrieved 2023-01-16.
  18. ^ "NAYSHA LOPEZ | Give It to Me Straight | Ep 45". YouTube. 12 September 2024.
  19. ^ "Will One of These Boystown Queens be the First Chicago Winner of 'RuPaul'?". 6 January 2016.
  20. ^ "Naysha Lopez, A Fierce Queen Representing Chicago's All-Star Drag Scene".
  21. ^ "Chicagoan cut from 'RuPaul's Drag Race' for not knowing Lady Gaga song". Chicago Tribune. 8 March 2016. Archived from the original on 2021-07-18. Retrieved 2023-01-16.
  22. ^ "Chicago performer gets second chance on 'RuPaul's Drag Race'". Chicago Tribune. 22 March 2016. Archived from the original on 2023-01-14. Retrieved 2023-01-16.
  23. ^ Forman, Ross. "Naysha Lopez, A Fierce Queen Representing Chicago's All-Star Drag Scene". ChicagoPride.com. Archived from the original on 2022-12-13. Retrieved 2022-12-13.
  24. ^ "Last Words With RuPaul's Drag Race's Naysha Lopez". The Advocate. 2016-03-09. ISSN 0001-8996. Archived from the original on 2022-12-13. Retrieved 2022-12-13.
  25. ^ Forman, Ross. "Naysha Lopez, A Fierce Queen Representing Chicago's All-Star Drag Scene". ChicagoPride.com. Archived from the original on 2022-12-13. Retrieved 2023-01-16.
  26. ^ Forman, Ross (19 April 2014). "Lady Tajma Hall dies". Windy City Times. Tajma Hall, a Chicago-based entertainer who shined worldwide, died Saturday morning, April 19, of cardiac arrest at Evanston Hospital. She was 44.
  27. ^ "A Complete Guide to Drag Families in 'Drag Race' Season 13". Out. 2021-01-07. Archived from the original on 2021-01-27. Retrieved 2023-01-16.
  28. ^ "Very Delta #89 "Are You Very Mami & Papi Like Me?" (w/ Naysha Lopez)". YouTube. Moguls of Media (YouTube channel). 29 April 2024.
  29. ^ @nayshalopez (May 28, 2023). "In love ❤️ that's all ' that's the post !!" – via Instagram.
  30. ^ "Money, Success, Fame, Glamour (Glam Rock Mix)". Spotify. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
  31. ^ "The Cast Of "RuPaul's Drag Race" Season 8 Will Be Announced At New Now Next Honors". LOGO News. Retrieved 2018-06-10.
  32. ^ The Queens. YouTube. September 24, 2018. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
  33. ^ Nolfi, Joey (April 20, 2023). "RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 8 cast of returning queens revealed". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  34. ^ RuPaul's Drag Race (February 15, 2016), Meet The Queens: My First Time... | RuPaul's Drag Race Season 8, retrieved April 22, 2023
  35. ^ BACKHANDED COMPLIMENTS with Bianca, Latrice, Bob, Gia, Jiggly, Jaidynn, and Naysha. YouTube. March 23, 2017. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
  36. ^ VideoOut: Fabian Rodriguez (Naysha Lopez), Your Greatest Gift to the World. YouTube. June 30, 2017. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
  37. ^ NAYSHA LOPEZ on HEY QWEEN! with Jonny McGovern | Hey Qween. YouTube. June 12, 2017. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
  38. ^ Rupaul's Drag Race Season 11; Ep. 1 with NAYSHA LOPEZ - The Entrance Looks | Kiki with Kimora Blac. YouTube. March 7, 2019. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
  39. ^ Naysha Lopez's Miss Continental Looks | S2 E4 | RuPaul's Drag Race Out Of The Closet. YouTube. May 14, 2019. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
  40. ^ Naysha Lopez: White Sox Pride Night (2022). YouTube. June 29, 2022. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
  41. ^ The Pit Stop AS7 E04 | Bob The Drag Queen & Naysha Lopez Are Serving! | RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars. YouTube. June 4, 2022. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
  42. ^ RuPaul's Drag Race (April 20, 2023), Meet the Queens of All Stars 8! 🌟 | QUEEN RUVEAL | RuPaul's Drag Race AS8 👠✨, retrieved April 20, 2023
  43. ^ Naysha Lopez Jokes About Ugly Looks on RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 8 Runway | Entertainment Weekly. Entertainment Weekly. April 26, 2023. Retrieved 2023-05-03.
  44. ^ The Queens Of "RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 8" Play Who's Who. BuzzFeed Celeb. May 15, 2023. Retrieved 2023-05-18.
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