Naomi Smalls has spilt the tea on one of the most shocking eliminations in Drag Race herstory.
In 2018, RuPaul blessed fans with one of the best seasons in the Drag Race franchise… All Stars 4.
The iconic entry saw the return of Monét X Change, Trinity the Tuck, Monique Heart, Naomi, Latrice Royale, Gia Gunn, Jasmine Masters, Farrah Moan, Valentina, and Manila Luzon as they battled it out for the crown and a spot in the Drag Race Hall of Fame.
The ten gag-worthy episodes featured sickening runway ensembles, showstopping lip-syncs, incredible maxi-challenge performances, and even the franchise’s first-ever double winners.
However, one of the most significant moments of the season was when Naomi eliminated Manila from the competition during the eighth episode.
At the time, Manila was the undeniable frontrunner for the All Stars 4 crown.
Despite it occurring nearly five years ago, the shocking elimination has left a lasting impression on Drag Race fans, with many still eager to learn more about the incident.
Fortunately, Naomi recently blessed the fandom with just that in her YouTube video, Naomi Smalls: A Look Back At All Stars 4, where she discussed the episode four moment that sparked her decision to eliminate Manila.
For context, Naomi and the season three queen were paired together for the episode’s Jersey Justice maxi-challenge.
When reflecting on the episode, the LA-based queen revealed that she and Manila were very confident about their improv performance.
“We were on a high of like, ‘Bitch, we fucking did that.’ Like, we ate that. We were both on top of the world,” she explained.
“I think we got to watch the other groups’ jersey courtroom and skits from the workroom after we filmed, and after watching everybody else, everyone was just kind of a f***ing mess.”
Naomi went on to say that their camaraderie and shared confidence ended after the judges’ critiques – which featured Michelle Visage and guest judge Erica Ash claiming the Manila outshone her.
“I think they said, ‘You were not giving as much as Manila was giving,'” she continued.
5 years ago today Naomi changed the All Stars format and the course of history pic.twitter.com/xmC4VNA6EZ
— JackFed (@JackFedYT) February 1, 2024
“Stepping off the stage and Manila being like, ‘Yeah girl, I ate you up’, and that’s when it clicked for me, ‘I don’t like this bitch, I don’t trust this bitch.’ And that just kind of wrote the script for the rest of the season.”
Towards the end of her video, she opened up about being in the top two, and her unforgettable lipstick reveal.
“When I signed up for All Stars, I signed up to play the game, and when I mean play the game, I really just mean have my best interest at heart,” she added.
“I don’t think sending home a strong competitor is necessarily the reason I sent Manila home. I just sent Manila home because I didn’t trust her.”
After the aforementioned elimination, Naomi went on to land a spot in the top four alongside Monique, Monét and Trinity – with the last two queens securing the crown.
Watch Naomi’s retrospective video here or below.
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