‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ star Jiggly Caliente dies at 44

Associated Press NEW YORK Drag performer Bianca Castro-Arabejo who was known as reality television star Jiggly Caliente on RuPaul s Drag Race died Sunday at age days after her family communicated hospitalization for a serious infection Castro-Arabejo who became a judge on Drag Race Philippines in scrapped plans to appear on the upcoming season after a latest hospitalization for a severe infection and a leg amputation surgery her family stated in a declaration on her Instagram page She died early Sunday her family announced in another announcement A luminous presence in the worlds of entertainment and advocacy Jiggly Caliente was celebrated for her infectious strength fierce wit and unwavering authenticity her family noted Sunday She touched countless lives through her artistry activism and the genuine connection she fostered with fans around the world Castro-Arabejo competed on the fourth season of RuPaul s Drag Race and later on RuPaul s Drag Race Allstars Her talent truth and impact will never be forgotten and her legacy will continue to slay dependably revealed a comment from RuPaul s Drag Race posted on X We re holding her family friends and fans close in our hearts during this intricate time Born in the Philippines Castro-Arabejo immigrated to New York She started working in drag about years ago appearing in competitions and pageants She noted the influence of her upbringing in her work and its importance for representation in the industry In she circulated a hip-hop album called T H O T Process including a track where she raps in Tagalog Related Articles World War II airman s remains receive a hero s welcome in San Jose Virginia Giuffre who accused Prince Andrew Jeffrey Epstein dies at Builder Barry Swenson presumed in struggling San Jose Santa Cruz downtowns Mike Patrick dies at sportscaster was the original play-by-play voice of ESPN s NFL coverage Sophie Nyweide dies at child actor co-starred in the films Mammoth and Noah During a episode of reality show Bring Back My Girls which reunites different performers from the Drag Race franchise Castro-Arabejo announced her work as a judge was critical because of her heritage When it comes to my custom I live and breathe that I am Filipina she reported I am a proud immigrant woman She publicly came out as transgender in on a podcast partly because she disclosed she received letters from fans who were struggling with their own gender identities I wished to come out because I was ready to come out I have been living as a trans woman for so long but I just never recounted the audience and the fans that she stated in a Billboard interview I was really transitioning while I was on the show I just never talked about it I didn t want it to be my storyline because being a trans woman is not what defines me