Jared Johnson (born December 9, 1988), best known by thestage nameJaida Essence Hall, is an Americandrag queen and reality television personality best known for winning thetwelfth season ofRuPaul's Drag Race, and later returning to compete on theseventh season ofRuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, an all-winners season.[1] Since her season aired in 2020, Hall has been a staple of several domestic and international tours that featureDrag Race contestants, includingWerq the World,A Drag Queen Christmas, andDrive 'N Drag. In October 2020, Johnson was a featured performer inRihanna'sSavage X Fenty Fashion Show Vol. 2.
Johnson was born inMilwaukee, Wisconsin. He is the third contestant from the city to compete onRuPaul's Drag Race and the second winner afterTrixie Mattel (winner ofAll Stars Season 3). He cites Milwaukee's sense of community and diversity of drag as major influences, especially its country tongue. He performed for a period of time atHamburger Mary's.[2]
Johnson began drag in the early 2010s.[3][4] Her name is a product of personal anecdotes and experiences that hold meaning. A friend called her "Jaida" when she put on a wig for the first time, and the name stuck. "Essence" came from her boyfriend, who called her "the essence of beauty" in a text message.[5] "Hall" is the name of her drag family; her mothers are Tajma Hall and Prada Diamond, and her drag sisters are Mercedes Iman Diamond,Naysha Lopez, Dida Ritz, andKahmora Hall.[6][7][8]
She rose to prominence in the drag scene through pageantry, winning titles such as Miss Five, Miss Gay Madison, Miss Wisconsin Club, and Miss City of the Lakes.[3][4] She also performed a halftime show at a 2019Milwaukee Bucks game.[4][9] Jaida is known for her design eye and makes many of her own outfits; her boyfriend makes her jewelry.[7] She is also a makeup artist and paintedSilky Nutmeg Ganache's face for theseason eleven finale ofRuPaul's Drag Race.[10]
In July and August 2020, Hall toured withDrive 'N Drag, adrive-in drag show held outdoors to accommodatesocial distancing restrictions imposed due toCOVID-19.[11][12] Johnson was featured on the cover of the September issue ofAttitude magazine in 2020.[13] In October 2020, Johnson was a featured performer inRihanna'sSavage X Fenty Fashion Show Vol. 2.[14] In September 2021, she performed alongsideChristina Aguilera at LadyLand Festival.[15] The following month, she performed atPridetoberFest at Henry Maier Festival Park in Milwaukee,[16] and the 10th annualNight of the Living Drag: The North American Halloween Tour.[17] In December 2021, she performed at theA Drag Queen Christmas event, produced by Murray & Peter.[18]
In January 2022, Jaida Essence Hall was added to the rotating cast of a dozenDrag Race queens inRuPaul's Drag Race Live!, a Las Vegas show residency at theFlamingo Las Vegas.[19] In March, Jaida Essence Hall, alongside the rest of theRuPaul's Drag Race Live! cast, performed withKaty Perry during herPlay concert residency atResorts World Las Vegas.[20] In April 2022, she hosted a Grammy-inspired Fashion Show sponsored byTikTok.[21] In July 2023, it was announced that Hall, alongsidePriyanka andSasha Velour, would be the new hosts of the fourth and final season of reality television seriesWe're Here. The three replaced the previous hosts,Eureka,Shangela, andBob the Drag Queen.[22] In 2024, she was announced as one of eight formerDrag Race contestants participating inPainting with Raven, a spin-off of theWOW Presents Plus seriesPainted with Raven.[23][24]
Jaida was announced as a contestant on thetwelfth season ofRuPaul's Drag Race on January 23, 2020.[25] During her time on the show, she won three main challenges, including theFosse-style number on episode two ("You Don't Know Me"), the political debate on episode nine, and the makeover on episode ten. She also had one appearance in the bottom two, after a shaky performance in the one-woman show on episode eleven. Jaida ultimately sent fan favorite, and eventual Miss Congeniality winnerHeidi N Closet home after a lip sync showdown toPrince's hit song "1999". She was crowned the winner (virtually) on May 29, 2020, after winning a three-way lip sync againstCrystal Methyd andGigi Goode to"Survivor" byDestiny's Child.[26][27] This performance earned Jaida a nomination for the 2020People's Choice Awards, in the Competition Contestant category.[28]
