Sanchez, 37, whose non-stage name is James Ross, won season two of RuPaul’s Drag Race in 2010. Since his victory, he has been involved in multiple controversies that have frequently put him at odds with the Drag Race fandom and the wider entertainment industry.
In 2018, Ross was banned from DragCon after posting online threats. He has also faced several arrests over the years, including incidents related to spray-painting graffiti and allegedly assaulting and threatening a police officer. Earlier this year, fans again criticized him after he appeared to mock the death of The Vivienne.
Ross’ latest claims were shared in a Facebook post, where he reposted an old interview clip of Visage. In the clip, she said that had she been a judge during season two, she “would have fought really hard” for runner-up Raven to win instead.
In the caption, Ross accused RuPaul, Visage, and World of Wonder of “intentional infliction of emotional distress, defamation, false light, and tortious interference with prospective economic advantage.” He alleged that for more than a decade, the parties had worked to “discredit, disparage, and destroy” his professional reputation, claiming their actions were carried out with reckless disregard for the truth and intended to fuel harassment and exclusion.
Ross also accused them of running what he described as a “systemic and malicious campaign” against him. Among the examples he cited was a skit showing RuPaul slapping him in the face, which RuPaul later reposted on social media. He further pointed to RuPaul crowning Raven the winner of the Snatch Game during her guest appearance on Drag Race All Stars 10 in July 2025, calling it “the moment you’ve all been waiting for.”
Additional allegations were directed at World of Wonder, including claims that the company filed a false police report in 2018 accusing him of threatening to “blow up DragCon,” and that the show aired defamatory storylines about him.
Ross concluded his statement by saying he is seeking compensatory and punitive damages, as well as a formal declaration acknowledging what he claims was wrongful conduct by the defendants.
As of now, no lawsuit has been officially filed.
Tags:
News
