A man has pleaded guilty to assaulting RuPaul’s Drag Race UK winner The Vivienne.
Content warning: This story includes topics that could make some readers feel uncomfortable and/or upset.
Alan Whitfield, 50, of Tom Mann Close in Everton, punched the star in the face in McDonald’s on Edge Lane, Liverpool, on 16 June before running away, according to Merseyside Police.
He admitted to assault by beating at Liverpool Magistrates’ Court on 5 September, but denied the prosecution’s claims that it was fuelled by “homophobic hatred” – instead claiming that the attack took place after The Vivienne mocked Whitfield’s facial scars.
A hearing is scheduled to take place on 1 December to determine the facts of the case, which is set to involve CCTV from the fast food restaurant, the 999 call and evidence from The Vivienne.
“I was getting a burger and what happened, happened, but the police were fantastic”
“It was in broad daylight, I wasn’t in drag, I was getting a burger and what happened, happened, but the police were fantastic,” she previously said of the incident during an interview with This Morning.
“It did kinda shake me up a little bit because I’ve always, from a young age, been so confident and didn’t care what anyone thought.”
The Vivienne added that she was “kind of glad” the attack happened to her, as opposed to someone younger “who is coming to terms with themselves and could have really affected them for life.”
READ MORE: Drag Race UK’s The Vivienne reflects on horrific homophobic attack in McDonald’s
Since winning the first season of Drag Race UK in 2019, the drag artist has gone on to appear on Dancing on Ice, Celebrity Karaoke Club and Celebrity Hunted, among many other things.
Herstory was also made when The Vivienne became the first UK queen to cross over to the US edition of the Drag Race franchise when she competed in All Stars 7, the first season made up entirely of former winners.
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