The lady goes home, but her spirit will linger over RuPaul’s Drag Race forever.
Read our full exit interview with the drag icon.
Thelady said go home, but Tamisha Iman’s impact onRuPaul’s Drag Raceis eternal.
Ladies go home, but the a legend’s spirit never dies.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: It’s so lovely to talk with you again.
I just hope you’re feeling at peace after the ladyactuallysaid go home?
TAMISHA IMAN:[Laughs] I’m at peace!
I’m glad you’re ok with it, because a lot of fans are going to be disappointed!
It’s a testament to how much you’ve won this fandom over.
I had a lot of personal health issues going on.
To know my talents weren’t up to par was difficult.
People don’t understand that I was there on adrenaline…. Physically, should I have been there?
You want the world to see what you put into this craft.
This week, with the hula hoop, you seemed especially displeased.
Have you since learned how to make hula hoops sexy or are we done with hoops?
The hula hoop we started with was an aerobics hoop!
Doing that with an aerobics hula hoop wasn’t possible because it’s at least four pounds.
On top of that, I was trying to protect myself with this ostomy bag!
Are you feeling healthy now?
I’m feeling really good.
How did that physically impact how you were able to perform?
I couldn’t go all the way down.
I had an open portion of my body that I had no control over on my stomach.
If you bend down the wrong way, you could push stuff out.
So, I was always cautious about that.
That’s what I was thinking.
You gave us so many moments this season.
Especially the clash with Kandy.
Can you add context?
Kandy was like, “What did you say?”
and I repeated it….
It wasn’t that harsh.
I did it in a joking way.
Nobody got offended until Kandy got offended.
Kandy is the leader of the pack!
You meant it as a joke?
Kandy and her mother have since received death threats.
Have you received any backlash from that moment?
I’m glad it happened, because that’s real life when it comes to the drag world.
There’s a level of respect due to everybody.
It allows people to express themselves….
This is a very loving industry; it doesn’t have to be a dog-eat-dog world.
I hope it was an educational moment for her.
If it doesn’t fall directly on my doorstep, I really don’t care.
Don’t invite it in and don’t respond.
I’m hearing Kandy is responding, and I have no response to followers.
People are like, “you better say something to your followers.”
I don’t have control over anyone but Tamisha.
To say something is giving it energy.
But I have talked to Kandy.
I’m only following Denali, Kahmora, Olivia, and Utica.
Those were the girls I personally connected with.
It’s nothing against the other girls.
It’s just the fact that…
I’m not going to follow them!
Do you have good relationships with them?
I’ve got all of my sisters [from Atlanta] blocked.
It’s a running joke that Tamisha has everybody from the community blocked.
On day-to-day social media, they might post something that will offend me.
I’m going to restrain myself…. social media platforms are where we expose our lives.
The old generation trying to adapt to the internet, they don’t have a filter!
They say stuff and it becomes confrontational….
I learn to keep myself out of the situation.
So, not following them is… a sign of respect?
So, I can still have communication with them.
I can still pop on your live, we can still interact, we can still be fine.
There’s a lot of stuff that’s still fresh.
In our community, there are a lot of cliques.
I’m always standing up for people.
I fight for respect for all.
I’ll go against the grain when it comes to fairness.
Speaking of Lala, I need to hear more about Lala being an Iman “for a day.”
Lala is friends with my friend Anthony, who’s like one of my kids without the title.
Lips restaurant had just come to Atlanta, and Anthony wanted to audition [for them].
Anthony and Lala were backup dancers for our productions….
They wanted to do drag for this audition.
So, I put both of them in drag.
Lala went to do the audition.
She was like “Child, I got a booking!”
I was like, “Well, I’ll do your face!”
He was an Iman for that day.
Lala did excellence for the first time ever in drag and turned the show completely out!
You’ve raised so many iconic drag children, including Tandi Iman Dupree.
I talk about my kids as a parent should.
I’m excellence at what I do.
I’m not good, I’m excellent.
But my kids are excellent as well.
The best praise any child biological or chosen can receive is love from their parents.
She was a beautiful person.
She died from a disease that has taken a lot of the greats out.
I’m so glad I was able to bring her there.
That would’ve been her home.
In his kids is everything I instilled in mine.
We need to appreciate them when they’re gone and never let their memories die.
The moment everyone knows Tandi for is the ceiling moment.
Tandi was like, “Mama, I want to try something!”
I was like “Oh, girl, here we go.”
She said “I want to fall out the ceiling.”
I knew she could do it!
So, when the other entertainer was onstage, Tandi was in the ceiling above them.
She’s not scared of heights or anything.
She’s up there on the poles, perched, like “Hey mama!”
In rehearsal, we tested it out, Tandi fell down and she was standing on her feet.
We’re thinking she was going to jump down and land on her feet.
Tandi did Tandi and fell into a split.
It was so exciting.
When she came off the stage [we realized] her heel was broken the whole time!
I’m a designer getting ready to launch my clothing line.
I just didn’t want to do the traditional merchandise.
I have a ready-to-wear line, and I’m introducing that first.
My couture line is coming!
How many of those damn sneakers have you sold?
Right now I’ve sold 500 pairs.
So, it’s amazing!
