Naysha Lopez | |
|---|---|
| Born | Fabian Rodriguez (1984-06-20)June 20, 1984 (age 41) Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Drag performer, beauty pageant participant |
| Television | |
| Awards | Miss Continental 2013 |
Naysha Lopez is the stage name ofdrag performer andbeauty pageant winnerFabian Rodriguez (born June 20, 1984), who won the 2013Miss Continental competition and appeared on the eighth seasons of bothRuPaul's Drag Race andRuPaul's Drag Race All Stars.[1]
After competing on the beauty pageant circuit, Naysha Lopez won the 2013Miss Continental competition.[2][3]
Naysha Lopez competed on theeighth season ofRuPaul'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" byLady Gaga againstLaila 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 againstChi Chi DeVayne toBlondie'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 ofSouth 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]
AtRuPaul's DragCon LA convention in 2018, Naysha Lopez andTempest 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 ofBillboard 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 withJennifer Lopez at theiHeartRadio 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 onInstagram 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 theeighth season ofRuPaul's Drag Race All Stars,[16] ultimately being eliminated on episode 2 after she placed in the bottom two contestants, alongsideKahanna Montrese. The surpriselip-sync "assassin" of the episode,Thai drag performerPangina Heals, won in a lip-sync against challenge winnerJimbo toCyndi 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.
Rodriguez has aworking class background,[17] and is a licensedcosmetologist.[13] Rodriguez's family moved back intoPuerto Rico until the age of 7 before moving back to Chicago.[18] He spent most of his life in Chicago, attendingLane Tech College Prep High School (graduating class of 2002), and, in 2023, was living on the city'sNorthwest Side and working inLake View, also known as Boystown. She also lived inBelmont Cragin,[19] in 2016, andElmwood Park, Illinois.[20]
As Naysha Lopez, Rodriguez hosts a popular weekly viewing party forRuPaul’s Drag Race,live-streamed from Chicago gay bar Roscoe's Tavern onYouTube. 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 fromCanada's Drag Race andRuPaul'sDrag 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, adrag family headed by pageantry icon Tajma Hall (1970–2014),[26] which includes fellowDrag Race contestantsDiDa Ritz (season 4),Jaida Essence Hall (season 12 winner) andKahmora Hall (season 13).[27]
As of 2024, Rodriguez is currently residing inLos Angeles, explaining in a podcast interview with fellowDragRace alumDelta 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]
| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Money, Success, Fame, Glamour"(Glam Rock version) (with the cast ofRuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, season 8) | 2023 | Non-album single |
| Year | 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 |
| Year | 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] |
…Jennifer lopez will always be a huge inspiration for me and my drag. Her take on Fashion and work ethic is like no other.
Tajma Hall, a Chicago-based entertainer who shined worldwide, died Saturday morning, April 19, of cardiac arrest at Evanston Hospital. She was 44.
