RuPaul’s Drag Race star Chi Chi DeVayne has been hospitalised with suspected kidney failure.
DeVayne, who rose to fame on season eight of Drag Race, told fans that she had suspected kidney failure in a video posted to Instagram yesterday.
The drag queen, whose real name is Zavion Davenport, revealed that she had tested negative for COVID-19 but said doctors were still trying to understand why her blood pressure was high.
“Tomorrow they’re going to give me a biopsy on my kidneys and let me know what it is that’s making my blood pressure so high, so I just want to say that I love you guys,” she said.
In a later update, she said doctors had managed to get her blood pressure down, but she would need three hours of dialysis as her kidneys were not working.
Chi Chi DeVayne has received an outpouring of love from other Drag Race stars.
She said doctors hoped that the dialysis could help her kidneys recover some functionality.
In the update, DeVayne said the bout of ill-health was related to scleroderma, a relatively rare condition she was diagnosed with in 2018 that causes thickened skin and problems with internal organs.
“If you don’t know, I got scleroderma, which affects everything in your body, heart, lungs, kidney, everything,” DeVayne said.
“So yeah, I let it go too long without going to the doctor and these are the consequences. Take care of your body!”
DeVayne has received an outpouring of love from Drag Race stars since revealing that she was in hospital with suspected kidney failure.
I let it go too long without going to the doctor and these are the consequences. Take care of your body!
All Stars winner Trixie Mattel tweeted: “I don’t believe in much but ALL the love and healing energy to Chi Chi DeVayne! Flawless, stunning, and we need her back on the stripper pole in top form!”
I don’t believe in much but ALL the love and healing energy to Chi Chi Devayne! Flawless, stunning, and we need her back on the stripper pole in top form! ❤️❤️❤️ pic.twitter.com/G7QX7p8dCD
— Trixie Mattel (@trixiemattel) July 16, 2020
Drag Race winner Aquaria urged people to help support DeVayne during her illness.
Please consider helping our friend Chi Chi Devayne in any way possible. She’s experiencing major medical issues and needs our support and love more than ever ❤️
Venmo – @Zavion-Davenport
Cashapp – $ZavionDavenport
Paypal – [email protected] pic.twitter.com/oZPykM6rdx— Aquaria 🖤 (@aquariaofficial) July 16, 2020
Kennedy Davenport wished her a “speedy recovery”.
Send a special prayer for my baby Chi chi Devayne. We need to bombard heavens gates.. speak her name and thank God for his will to be done.. speedy recovery baby girl..
— Kennedy Davenport The Dancing Diva of Texas (@kennedyddoftx) July 16, 2020
The Vixen asked everyone to send “love and support” to the Drag Race star.
Please Send all your love and support to Chichi Devayne 🥺😍🙏🏾
•Venmo – @Zavion-Davenport
•Cashapp – $ZavionDavenport
•Paypal – [email protected]— The Vixen (@TheVixensworld) July 16, 2020
Meanwhile, Drag Race UK star Cheryl Hole asked fans to help support DeVayne during her stint in hospital.
Let’s all join together and help our sister Chi Chi. If you can’t afford to donate, please send her well wishes and support during this time!
WE LOVE YOU CHI CHI ❤️ https://t.co/x5t8MjCdze— Cheryl Hole (@CherylHoleQueen) July 16, 2020
DeVayne was diagnosed with scleroderma in 2018.
DeVayne revealed her scleroderma diagnosis in 2018 in an Instagram post.
Writing at the time, she said she had been afraid to make her diagnosis public in case she lost out on work opportunities or faced criticism from friends and fans.
“I feel it’s finally time to let the world know what’s really going on with Chi Chi,” she wrote at the time.
“Bottling this up has had me in a state of depression… It has made me hate my appearance and also made me stray away from the public eye but I’m no longer hiding and living in a state of fear.”