Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman has spoken out for the first time since his controversial run as a judge on Canada’s Drag Race.
In an exclusive interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the actor claims that the environment on set did not have his best interests at heart.
“I came into Canada’s Drag Race with a false sense of security, because I had built that trust with the producers of the American show,” Bowyer-Chapman explained. “But this was a different set of producers.”
He continued: “After playing a reality TV show producer on UnREAL for four seasons, I was aware of how dark and how shady that world can be.”
The star, who frequently appears on the American edition of Drag Race, shared that he was harassed by fans of the franchise online.
Bowyer-Chapman explained: “The amount of times that I was called a stupid n****r in my inbox from white, gay men was shocking — specifically because we were in the midst of a racial justice awakening.”
“As gay men, we unfortunately have grown accustomed to experiencing hate and vitriol and homophobia. I guess I had just never experienced it from my own community,” he added.
The 36-year-old sent shockwaves through the Drag Race fandom when part of his critique of Canada’s Drag Race contestant Jimbo went viral online.
During the judging, the queen said having a “limited amount of time” made it hard for them to deliver a top tier look on the runway that week.
In response, Bowyer-Chapman told them to “use it better, maybe” before giving them a look which infuriated some fans who felt it was too harsh.
This resulted in the actor deleting his Twitter because of the abuse he received, making this the first time he has spoken out about his time on the show.
In regards to how the Canadian instalment could be improved, the former judge feels diversity needs to be more of a focus.
“There’s a lot of indigenous talent that has gone unrecognized; a lot of trans and non-binary talent,” he told The Hollywood Reporter. “People of color beyond Black people. There’s West Indians.”
Canada’s Drag Race recently revealed the 12 queens competing on the show’s second season, which is set to air on 14 October.
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