Antoine Ashley, a drag star who is best known for competing as Sahara Davenport on RuPaul’s Drag Race, has died at the age of 27. The cause of death is unclear and no other details have been released. Ashley is survived by boyfriend Karl Westerberg, a season 3 Drag Race contestant known as Manila Luzon.
Logo, the network behind Drag Race, released a statement saying they are “profoundly saddened” by Ashley’s death. “He was an amazing artist and entertainer who'll be deeply missed by his Logo family. Our hearts and prayers go out to his family, especially his boyfriend Karl, in their time of need," the network said.
RuPaul Tweeted: "Shocked & heartbroken over @SaharaDavenport. Never occurred to me that we'd ever lose one of my girls. I see them as immortal.”
GLAAD also released a statement saying, "In addition to being a talented performer, we also remember the great work of Antoine Ashley, known to many fans as Sahara Davenport, in support of LGBT youth organizations and GLAAD. This is a saddening loss and our thoughts are with Sahara's friends, partner and family."
Ashley studied classical dance at Southern Methodist University before moving to NYC where he performed in drag at nightclubs and gay bars. He competed on the season 2 of RuPaul’s Drag Race in 2010 and appeared in 15 Films About Madonna, Magnificent Obsessions and One Life to Live. Ashley released a remix of his single “Go Off” earlier this year.
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