Zavion Michael Davenport (September 24, 1985 – August 20, 2020), better known by the stage nameChi Chi DeVayne, was an Americandrag queen andreality television personality who came to international attention on theeighth season ofRuPaul's Drag Race and on thethird season ofRuPaul's Drag Race All Stars. DeVayne began her drag career in her nativeShreveport, Louisiana, where she was known locally prior to her 2016 debut onDrag Race. Following her time on the show, DeVayne embarked on a number of domestic and international tours, and she was featured on several web series about drag.
Davenport was diagnosed withscleroderma in 2018 and, two years later, he died following a bout ofpneumonia he contracted after a hospital stay for scleroderma-relatedkidney failure.
I was always a little performer. My uncle used to stage talent shows with all us cousins, and my mom saw something in me. She had me ingymnastics, and I was in a dance company in my twenties.
Zavion Michael Davenport was born on September 24, 1985, inShreveport, Louisiana, to Alberteen Wyandon and Zan Davenport III. He had a sister, Brittany; a brother, DaRico Wyandon; and two half-brothers, Zachary and Zamien Willis.[2]
As a child, Davenport took classes inballet and inWest African andmodern dance.[2] He described parts of his upbringing as rough: he carried a gun, got into trouble, and joined gangs.[3] In an interview onRuPaul's Drag Race, he said, "Girl, I've seen people shot. I've smelled, like, the smell of brains. When I tell you I come from the streets, I'm not kidding."[2] Davenport attendedFair Park High School, where he was adrum major in the marching band.[2] After graduating in 2003, he began performing indrag on the local nightlife scene.[2] Prior to appearing onDrag Race, Davenport worked twonine-to-five jobs to support himself.[4]
DeVayne's first name, Chi Chi, was inspired by the character Chi-Chi Rodriguez fromTo Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar, and the surname DeVayne came from the DeVaynedrag family of Shreveport. Her drag mothers were Kourtni DeVayne and Lady Phat Kat.[5] DeVayne enjoyed using different shades of purple makeup.[6] In her early days as a drag entertainer, she was a regular performer at the Central Station nightclub in Shreveport, where she became known for herbackflips.[7]
Chi Chi DeVayne, 2018
DeVayne competed on theeighth season ofRuPaul's Drag Race, which began airing on March 7, 2016.[8]HuffPost's James Michael Nichols said she "was thedark horse [of the] season, walking through the doors in the first episode in a dress literally made out of garbage bags".[9] TheBBC called herlip sync to "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going", through which she eliminated fellow contestantThorgy Thor, "iconic inDrag Race history".[10]Out dubbed the performance one of the series' best lip syncs.[11] DeVayne made it to the top four but was eliminated beforeKim Chi andNaomi Smalls;Bob the Drag Queen won the crown. DeVayne said of the experience: "It changed everything in my life. Everything has turned in a different direction. Before, I was just like, 'What's a good job that I could get here in town, working in a factory?'. It's crazy."[12]
DeVayne was interviewed onRuPaul's podcastRuPaul: What's the Tee? in 2016.[13] The next year, she toured withA Drag Queen Christmas,[14][15] and she was subsequently a cast member of several international live shows featuringDrag Race contestants.[7] In March 2018, she was a part ofMax Emerson's seriesDrag Babies, which was hosted by Bob the Drag Queen. She served as a drag mentor alongsidePeppermint andShuga Cain.[16] DeVayne then appeared on thethird season ofRuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, which premiered on January 25, 2018.[17] She was eliminated in the fourth episode,[18] originally placing seventh, but she ultimately finished eighth afterMorgan McMichaels returned to the competition.[19][20] DeVayne credited her experience onDrag Race with helping her heal from some of the difficulties of her past.[2]
I am heartbroken to learn of the passing of Chi Chi DeVayne. I am so grateful that we got to experience her kind and beautiful soul. She will be dearly missed, but never forgotten. May her generous and loving spirit shine down on us all.
In 2018, he was diagnosed withscleroderma, anautoimmune condition.[11][23] He reported that the disease had caused him to lose weight and had reduced his capacity to dance in early 2020.[7] On July 17 of that year, he was rushed to the hospital withhypertension and scleroderma-relatedkidney failure.[24][25] This prompted fans and fellowDrag Race contestants to initiate fundraising efforts for his medical bills.[11][25] Two days later, he posted an update on social media, saying, "I let it go too long without going to the doctor, and these are the consequences". He also expressed appreciation for the outpouring of support from fans and colleagues, and he stated that he was undergoingdialysis treatment.[24] Four weeks later, Davenport was readmitted to the hospital withpneumonia.[25][26] During that time, he made his final social media post, a video asking fans to keep him in their prayers and promising to "be back soon".[11][27] He died on August 20, 2020, at the age of 34.[19][28]
The finale episode ofRuPaul's Drag Raceseason 13—the first to air after DeVayne's death—contained a tribute segment whereinRuPaul and several former contestants shared memories of DeVayne's life and work.[30][31][32] In 2022, directorStephen Dunn announced that DeVayne was meant to play the character Bussy onQueer as Folk, but she was replaced by Armand Fields after she died.[33] Dunn stated that he set the series inNew Orleans due to his longtime friendship with DeVayne.[33][34]
.jpg)
