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Willow Pill

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Willow Pill
Willow Pill at RuPaul's DragCon LA, 2022
Born (1995-01-22) January 22, 1995 (age 31)[1]
Denver, Colorado, U.S.
Other nameWillow Patterson
EducationColorado State University
OccupationDrag queen
TelevisionRuPaul's Drag Race

Willow Patterson (born January 22, 1995), known by the stage name Willow Pill, is an American drag performer, recording artist, and television personality. She is best known for winning the fourteenth season of RuPaul's Drag Race in 2022, where she became the third contestant with a chronic illness[2] to win a regular season of the show.[3][4] Willow Pill’s victory was widely seen as a milestone for transgender representation on Drag Race, a show that had previously faced criticism for its treatment of trans contestants.[5] During her time on the show, she came out as trans femme and spoke candidly about her experience living with cystinosis, a rare genetic disorder she has managed since childhood.[6][7] She uses she/they pronouns and has said her drag is often shaped by themes of illness, mortality, and gender exploration.[5]

Early life

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Patterson was raised in Denver, Colorado and attended Arapahoe High School in Littleton Public Schools. Patterson later attended Colorado State University.[8]

Career

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Early career

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Willow Pill at RuPaul's DragCon LA, 2022

While attending Colorado State University, Patterson began performing drag in 2016 at the age of 21 after following RuPaul's Drag Race since the age of 14.[3] Patterson has said that she first became interested in drag after seeing season one contestant Tammie Brown and was immediately hooked by the series.[3] Patterson later credited Raja, Jinkx Monsoon, and Adore Delano with inspiring a more serious interest in drag.[3]

Patterson's first drag performance took place at a Colorado State University drag show, where Willow Pill appeared in "a pink '90s housewife tracksuit, complete with glasses and a pearl necklace". The performance combined comedy with dance to music by rapper Missy Elliott and singer Gwen Stefani.[9] Patterson later developed hosting and comedic skills while performing at the now-closed Gladys nightclub in Denver and also performed at Denver's Tracks Nightclub, which Patterson has described as an important venue in her drag career.[7]

Before being cast on the fourteenth season of RuPaul's Drag Race in 2022, Patterson auditioned for the series three times.[7] Patterson later said that competing on the show marked a return to drag after more than a year away from regular performances, having appeared only occasionally during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.[7]

RuPaul's Drag Race

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In 2022, Willow Pill gained wider prominence as a contestant on season 14 of RuPaul's Drag Race. During the first episode of Season 14, she performed a surreal self-care-themed talent number set to Enya’s “Only Time,” which involved a bathtub, spaghetti, and a toaster oven. The routine was inspired by a video she had made in high school and became one of her most memorable performances.[10] She won the main challenge on the third episode, earning a cash prize of $5,000. Her Snatch Game performance as Drew Barrymore in episode 10 placed her in the bottom seven,[11] and she participated in the lip-sync tournament on episode eleven.[12] She won the first round against Bosco.[12] She placed in the bottom a second time during episode 14, and was required to "lip sync for her life" against Angeria Paris VanMicheals. Following their performance of "Telephone" by Lady Gaga ft. Beyoncé, neither was eliminated, resulting in five contestants advancing to the finale, a first for the series.[6]

Art depicting Willow Pill at a gym in Seattle, 2023

In the season finale, Willow Pill was announced the winner of Season 14 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, receiving the top prize of $150,000, which, at the time, was the highest amount awarded in a regular season.[13] The season finale, filmed at the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas, marked the show’s return to an in-person event following two pandemic-affected seasons. Each finalist performed an original solo number rather than competing in traditional lip-sync battles.[13] Willow Pill performed "I Hate People"[14] and was selected as the top two alongside Lady Camden to face off in a final lip-sync. In their lip-sync battle to Cher's version of ABBA's "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)," Willow Pill defeated Lady Camden and ultimately won the crown. Although the finale was filmed in advance, Willow Pill did not learn the outcome until it aired on April 22, 2022.[13] She made history as the first openly transgender woman to win a regular season of the show in the United States, and is the sixth openly transgender contestant to win a season of the Drag Race franchise at the time of her crowning.[3][2][15][16][a]

Willow Pill’s win came at a time when RuPaul’s Drag Race was undergoing increased scrutiny and change regarding its inclusion of transgender contestants. In earlier seasons, the show used terms now widely considered transphobic, such as “she-mail,” and host RuPaul previously stated he would not allow trans women to compete. Willow Pill’s visibility as a trans femme winner was seen as a milestone in the franchise’s evolving stance on gender identity and inclusion.[5] Season 14 was also notable for its emphasis on transparency around gender identity, coming-out stories, and chronic illness. For the first time in franchise history, five queens made it to the finale.

Willow Pill's original finale song, “I Hate People,” co-written with Leland and Gabe Lopez, was Emmy-eligible which is a rarity for reality show contestants. She described the song as a satirical response to frustrations with society and government during the pandemic.[3] Following her win, she released a single titled “Angle” along with an accompanying music video.[17] She also collaborated with Yvie Oddly on the track “Sick B*tch” from Oddly’s debut album Drag Trap, released in 2020.[2]

Artistry

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Patterson developed the Willow Pill character while performing in Denver's drag scene. Willow Pill's artistic style combines comedy, vintage fashion, and recurring themes of illness, death, and gender identity.[5][7] Patterson has described Willow Pill as "a mix of 41 and 14", drawing inspiration from older women, "little stoner girls", and everyday life.[18]

Willow Pill's artistic style draws on retro glamour, dreams, and vintage photographs of Patterson's mother from the 1960s, 1970s, and 1990s.[3] During the fourteenth season of RuPaul's Drag Race, Patterson's runway looks included a "house" look based on a dream about a doll growing too large for its toy home, and a thong dress inspired by a dream about diving into a rack of swimsuits at a Tommy Bahama store.[3] Patterson has credited Tammie Brown, Raja, Jinkx Monsoon, and Adore Delano as influences on Willow Pill's approach to drag.[3]

Patterson has said that living with cystinosis since childhood has shaped both personal identity and artistic practice. Willow Pill incorporates experiences of illness, death, and darkness into performances and visual style, while also exploring gender identity.[5][19]

Public advocacy

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Patterson has used a public platform to discuss living with cystinosis, a rare inherited genetic disorder that has affected her since childhood. During the fourteenth season of RuPaul's Drag Race in 2022, Patterson spoke openly about the condition, explaining that she takes more than 20 medications each day to manage it and describing its effects on daily life, gender identity, and drag. In interviews following the season, Patterson said that appearing on the series provided an opportunity to speak openly about chronic illness on a national platform and increase representation for people living with similar conditions.[6][7][20]

Patterson has also spoken publicly about gender identity and transition. During the broadcast of RuPaul's Drag Race, Patterson came out as transfeminine and later discussed how years of medical treatment, including a kidney transplant at age 15, had delayed gender transition because of the physical and emotional effects of chronic illness.[21][5][20] Patterson has said that being open about both experiences could help transgender people and people living with chronic illnesses who rarely see themselves represented in popular media. Patterson has also said that chronic illness shaped not only a performance style but also the decision to discuss personal health on such a large public platform.[5][6]

Personal life

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Willow Pill performing in 2022

Willow Pill was born and raised in Denver, Colorado, where she lived until the age of 26 before relocating to Chicago.[7] She is transfeminine and uses they/them and she/her pronouns, making her one of the five transgender contestants of Season 14. Willow Pill initially opened up about her gender identity in an episode of Untucked! and later came out as transgender via social media during the airing of the season.[21] She and two of her cast-mates, Bosco and Jasmine Kennedie, came out as transgender over the progression of the season, making S14 the season with the most openly trans contestants including Kornbread Jeté and Kerri Colby, who had openly been out prior to the airing of the season.[22]

When Willow Pill publicly came out as transfeminine during Season 14, she shared more details in an Instagram post, where she explained that chronic illness had delayed her gender journey. She described how her medical condition, cystinosis, caused both physical and emotional pain that complicated her relationship with her body. Willow Pill wrote that her kidney transplant at age 15 and the ongoing effects of muscle atrophy, PTSD from medical experiences, and a high medication load made the process of transitioning more complex. Despite these challenges, she began medically transitioning, including undergoing facial feminization surgery in November 2021.[5][23][21]

Willow Pill has spoken about her connection with fellow Denver drag queen and Drag Race Season 11 winner Yvie Oddly, calling her an early inspiration and collaborator. They first met at a student drag show and reconnected through a college documentary project Willow Pill created about Yvie Oddly. She noted that they have supported one another in shaping a personal relationship to drag that differs from traditional expressions of the art form.[7]

After winning Drag Race, Willow Pill stated that she intended to put part of her prize money into a college fund for her future children and keep the rest in savings with the goal of retiring early, ideally by age 35.[17]

Filmography

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Television

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Year Title Role Place Ref
2022 RuPaul's Drag Race (season 14) Contestant Winner [24]
RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked
2023 RuPaul's Drag Race (season 15) Herself Guest [25]

Web series

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Year Title Role Notes Ref
2021 Meet the Queens Herself Stand-alone special
RuPaul's Drag Race Season 14		 [26]
2022 Whatcha Packin' Guest [27]
The Awardist [28]
The Pit Stop [29]
Folx Presents [30]
Meet the Queens Host
RuPaul's Drag Race Season 15		 [31]
2023 Sloppy Seconds' Guest [32]
Give It to Me Straight' [33]
Fashion Photo RuView [34]

Music videos

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Year Title Artist Ref
2021 "Sick Bitch" Yvie Oddly feat. Willow Pill [35]
2022 "Taste So Good (The Cann Song)" Vincint, Hayley Kiyoko, MNEK and Kesha (Weedmaps x Cann) [36]
"Angle" Willow Pill feat. Kornbread Jeté [37]

Awards and nominations

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Year Award-giving body Category Work Results Ref.
2022 MTV Movie & TV Awards Best Reality Star RuPaul's Drag Race Nominated [38]
Critics' Choice Real TV Awards Best Ensemble Cast in an Unscripted Series
(Shared with the Season 14 cast)		 Won [39]
People's Choice Awards The Competition Contestant of 2022 Nominated [40][41]
2023 Queerty Awards Closet Door Bustdown
(Shared with Bosco, Jasmine Kennedie and Kornbread Jeté)		 Runner-up [42]
Drag Royalty Herself Nominated [43]

Notes

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  1. ↑ The other transgender contestants to win a Drag Race season were Angele Anang, Kylie Sonique Love, Vanessa Van Cartier, and Sasha Colby, as well as Jinkx Monsoon and Trinity the Tuck, the winners of RuPaul's Drag Race (season 5) and fourth season of All Stars respectively, who came out as trans non-binary following their season victories.

References

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  1. ↑ Sim, Bernardo. "Drag Race's Willow Pill Shares Sexy Thirst Traps For Their Birthday". out.com. Out. Retrieved August 21, 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 Oddly, Yvie (2019-04-14). "Drag Race's Yvie Oddly On Living with Ehlers Danos Syndrome". Out. Retrieved 2025-07-09.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Dresden, Hilton (2022-06-25). "'RuPaul's Drag Race' Winner Willow Pill on Historic Win: "This Is My Future and Reign, and It Goes How I Want It to Go"". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2025-03-24.
  4. ↑ "Meet Willow Pill, winner of RuPaul's Drag Race season 14". South China Morning Post. 2022-05-04. Retrieved 2025-03-24.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Finkel, Lena (2022-03-05). "'Drag Race': Willow Pill on How Her Illness Might Interfere With Her Transition". Femestella. Retrieved 2025-03-24.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Perkins, Njera (2022-04-28). ""RuPaul's Drag Race" Stars Willow Pill and Lady Camden on an Unpredictable Season 14". Popsugar. Retrieved 2025-03-24.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Patterson, Denny (2022-03-14). "Denver's Willow Pill is the Essence of Eccentric". OUT FRONT. Retrieved 2025-03-24.
  8. ↑ Alvarez, Alayna (2022-04-22). "Denver drag queen Willow Pill competes to win "RuPaul's Drag Race"". Axios. Archived from the original on 2022-04-23. Retrieved 2022-04-23.
  9. ↑ Pinherio, Brooklyn (July 11, 2017). "Becoming a Drag Queen: behind the garters and glitter". The Plaid Zebra. Archived from the original on January 30, 2022. Retrieved April 24, 2022.
  10. ↑ "Willow Pill Explained The Meaning Of Her Twisted 'Drag Race' Talent Show Number". Elite Daily. 2022-01-09. Retrieved 2025-03-24.
  11. ↑ Harrison, Frankie (12 March 2022). "RuPaul's Drag Race Season 14 Episode 10 Recap: Snatch Game". inmagazine.ca.
  12. 1 2 "It's March Madness on RuPaul's Drag Race with a LaLaPaRuZa lip sync tournament". The A.V. Club. 19 March 2022. Archived from the original on 2022-03-31. Retrieved 2022-04-15.
  13. 1 2 3 Rosario, Alexandra Del (2022-04-23). "'RuPaul's Drag Race': [SPOILER] Crowned Season 14 Winner In Milestone Finale For Franchise". Deadline. Archived from the original on 2022-04-23. Retrieved 2022-04-23.
  14. ↑ Nolfi, Joey (April 23, 2022). "'Drag Race' winner Willow Pill plans to 'get more disgusting and dirty' — and fun". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 2022-05-29. Retrieved 2022-05-29.
  15. ↑ "Here's What 'Drag Race's Season 14 Winner Plans To Do With The Crown". Elite Daily. 2022-04-23. Retrieved 2025-03-24.
  16. ↑ Malone, Chris (May 6, 2022). "How Many Trans 'Drag Race' Winners Have There Been?". Showbiz Cheatsheet. Archived from the original on May 24, 2022. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  17. 1 2 Tangcay, Jazz (2022-08-16). "'RuPaul's Drag Race' Queens Willow Pill and Jinkx Monsoon on Adulting, Sobriety and Eating Haggis". Variety. Retrieved 2025-03-24.
  18. ↑ "How Tall is Willow Pill? The Drag Superstar Who Conquered RuPaul's Drag Race". Career Gear. Retrieved 2025-03-24.
  19. ↑ "Blog". TransplantLyfe. Retrieved 2025-03-24.
  20. 1 2 "RuPaul's Drag Race Star Willow Pill Details Life with Cystinosis: 'Nothing Is Unaffected By It'". People.com. Retrieved 2025-03-24.
  21. 1 2 3 "'Drag Race's Willow Pill Comes Out as Trans, Shares Post-Surgery Pic". www.out.com. Retrieved 2025-03-03.
  22. ↑ "'Drag Race' star Willow Pill comes out as trans". EW.com. Retrieved 2025-03-03.
  23. ↑ "RuPaul's Drag Race Star Willow Pill Details Life with Cystinosis: 'Nothing Is Unaffected By It'". People.com. Retrieved 2025-03-24.
  24. ↑ Christopher, Rudolph. ""RuPaul's Drag Race" Season 14 Queens to Be RuVealed in VH1 Special". NewNowNext.com. Archived from the original on 2021-11-23. Retrieved 2021-11-23.
  25. ↑ Ramos, Dino-Ray. "RECAP: 'RuPaul's Drag Race' Season 15 Episode 16: The Grand Finale". www.glaad.org. Archived from the original on 2021-11-23. Retrieved 2023-04-18.
  26. ↑ Meet the Queens of Season 14! | RuPaul's Drag Race, December 3, 2021, archived from the original on January 15, 2022, retrieved December 14, 2022
  27. ↑ Willow Pill's Whatcha Packin' | S14 TOP 5 | RuPaul's Drag Race, April 26, 2022, archived from the original on May 17, 2022, retrieved June 4, 2022
  28. ↑ 'RuPaul's Drag Race' Season 14 Contestants On Most Entertaining Season Yet! | Entertainment Weekly, June 23, 2022, archived from the original on June 23, 2022, retrieved June 23, 2022
  29. ↑ The Pit Stop AS7 E07 | Bob The Drag Queen & Willow Pill Win! | RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, June 25, 2022, archived from the original on June 26, 2022, retrieved June 26, 2022
  30. ↑ Season 14 Drag Race Queens On Trans Joy, August 4, 2022, archived from the original on August 5, 2022, retrieved August 5, 2022
  31. ↑ MEET THE QUEENS OF SEASON 15! 🚘 | RuPaul's Drag Race 👠✨, December 13, 2022, archived from the original on January 9, 2023, retrieved December 14, 2022
  32. ↑ Sloppy Seconds #308 - Shower Milk (w/ Willow Pill), January 19, 2023, archived from the original on March 5, 2023, retrieved March 5, 2023
  33. ↑ WILLOW PILL - "Give It To Me Straight" Ep4 - Hosted by Maddy Morphosis, March 1, 2023, archived from the original on March 2, 2023, retrieved March 3, 2023
  34. ↑ FASHION PHOTO RUVIEW - RuPaul's Drag Race Season 15 - Reunion, April 12, 2023, archived from the original on April 18, 2023, retrieved April 18, 2023
  35. ↑ "Yvie Oddly - Sick Bitch (ft. Willow Pill) [Official Video]". Youtube.com. 5 March 2021. Archived from the original on June 7, 2022. Retrieved June 7, 2022.
  36. ↑ ""Taste So Good" (The Cann Song) - Official Music Video | Weedmaps x Cann". Youtube.com. 31 May 2022. Archived from the original on June 1, 2022. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
  37. ↑ "Willow Pill - Angle (feat. Kornbread) Official Music Video". Youtube.com. 8 June 2022. Archived from the original on June 8, 2022. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
  38. ↑ MTV News (May 11, 2022). "HERE ARE YOUR 2022 MTV MOVIE & TV AWARDS NOMINATIONS: SEE THE FULL LIST". Archived from the original on May 11, 2022. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
  39. ↑ Erik Pedersen (June 12, 2022). "'RuPaul's Drag Race' & 'Top Chef' Lead Critics Choice Real TV Awards". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 13, 2022. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
  40. ↑ Schwartz, Missy (October 26, 2022). "Bad Bunny, 'Nope', Harry Styles and Lizzo Lead People's Choice Awards Nominations: Complete List". TheWrap. Archived from the original on October 27, 2022. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
  41. ↑ Malec, Brett (December 7, 2022). "People's Choice Awards 2022 Winners: The Complete List". E! Online. Archived from the original on January 11, 2023. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
  42. ↑ "Closet Door Bustdown Nominees". The Queerties. Archived from the original on 25 January 2023. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  43. ↑ "Drag Royalty Nominees". The Queerties. Archived from the original on 25 January 2023. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
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