Stacy Layne Matthews | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Stacy Layne Matthews atRuPaul's DragCon LA, 2018 | |
| Born | Back Swamp, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Other names | Stacy Jones |
| Alma mater | University of North Carolina at Pembroke |
| Occupation | Drag queen |
| Television | RuPaul's Drag Race (season 3) |
Stacy Layne Matthews is the stage name ofStacy Jones,[1] adrag performer who competed onseason 3 ofRuPaul's Drag Race. On the show, she popularized the word "henny", which became a nickname, and she won theSnatch Game challenge for her impersonation ofMo'Nique. FollowingDrag Race, Stacy Layne Matthews impersonated Mo'Nique inThe HoMo'Nique Show, a parody ofBET'sThe Mo'Nique Show, at Manhattan'sLaurie Beechman Theater. She has also appeared onseason 4 ofRuPaul's Drag Race All Stars andTeen Mom OG.
Originally from Back Swamp,North Carolina, Jones is a member of theLumbee Tribe of North Carolina.
Stacy Jones is originally fromBack Swamp,North Carolina.[2] She attended theUniversity of North Carolina at Pembroke. Her first experience indrag was for aHalloween contest as a student at the university, which she won.[1]
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Jones competed as Stacy Layne Matthews onseason 3 ofRuPaul's Drag Race, which aired in 2011. She popularized the word "henny",[3][4] which became a nickname, and placed eighth overall after ranking in the bottom two twice.[4] Stacy Layne Matthews won theSnatch Game challenge on thesixth episode for her impersonation ofMo'Nique as her character in the filmPrecious (2009),[5][6] and eliminatedIndia Ferrah from the competition after winning alip-sync contest to "Meeting in the Ladies Room" (1985) byKlymaxx.[7] Stacy Layne Matthews was eliminated on the seventh episode,[8] after placing in the bottom two of the design challenge, and losing a lip-sync againstAlexis Mateo.[9][10][11]
Stacy Layne Matthews is referenced in the song "Heather", a parody ofMariah Carey's "We Belong Together" (2005), byThe AAA Girls, asupergroup withDrag Race contestantsAlaska Thunderfuck,Courtney Act, andWillam Belli. "Heather" was released as asingle forAccess All Areas in 2017 and received amusic video, in which Stacy Layne Matthews made a cameo appearance.[12] Stacy Layne Matthews made multiple appearances onseason 4 (2018–2019) of the spin-off seriesRuPaul's Drag Race All Stars,[13] during the "Super Girl Groups, Henny"musical theatre challenge, the "Jersey Justice" episode in which she played acourt reporter,[2] as well as the comedyroast challenge.[14]
Sam Damshenas ofGay Times has said Stacy Layne Matthews is "one of the most beloved" contestants in theDrag Race franchise.[15]Instinct magazine and other publications have described her as a "fan favorite".[1][16] The "Meeting in the Ladies Room" battle was included inOut's 2018 list of twelve lip-syncs "that define [the show's] queer canon",[17] and Pride.com's 2019 list of the seven closest lip-syncs in the show's history.[7] In a 2019 list ofDrag Race's most memorablecatchphrases, Bernardo Sim ofScreen Rant wrote, "It's fair to say that 'henny' has surpassed itsDrag Race fame and entered the vocabulary of mainstream media. Overall, it is not rare to hear other celebrities saying 'henny' as an alternative pronunciation of 'honey,' perhaps without even necessarily being familiar with Stacy Layne Matthews."[18] Hugh McIntyre ranked her impersonation of Mo'Nique eighteenth inBustle's 2022 list of the show's best Snatch Game performances.[19]
FollowingDrag Race, Stacy Layne Matthews took her impersonation of Mo'Nique to Manhattan'sLaurie Beechman Theater with a three-day run ofThe HoMo'Nique Show, a parody ofBET'sThe Mo'Nique Show, and interviewed guests includedRandy Jones,Amanda Lepore, andMichael Musto.[20] Stacy Layne Matthews also appeared onTeen Mom OG in 2018.[21][22] She temporarily retired from drag in November 2023, citingmental health reasons,[23][24] but announced her return to drag in January 2024 via an Instagram post.[25]
Jones has called herself a "country queen".[24] She is a member of the state-recognizedLumbee Tribe of North Carolina.[3] Jones came out as atrans woman following her appearance onDrag Race.[23] Mo'Nique is among inspirations for her look and style.[1] During theCOVID-19 pandemic, Jones experienced financial and housing difficulties.[3] She faced eviction and sought treatment for a health condition in 2021.[2][26][27] She was hospitalized in 2023 and 2024.[28][29]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | RuPaul's Drag Race (season 3) | Herself/Contestant | 8th place | [4] |
| 2018 | Teen Mom OG (season 7) | Herself | Cameo | [21] |
| RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars (season 4) | Herself | Special guest | [13] |
