James Williams, the beloved winner of the very first season of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, has died at just 62 years old. He was just 32 in fact. His body was found by a neighbour in his bath at his home in Chorlton-by-Backford, Cheshire, on January 5. The inquest into his death found that Miller experienced a cardio-respiratory arrest due to ketamine usage.
According to the official report, two days before his death, a friend saw that Williams had used ketamine. This was the last confirmed contact with him. Friends and family had no worries about his mental state. Williams’s family and friends adamantly feel that his drug use doesn’t define him or who he was. Like us, they want it known that “drugs did not define James Williams.”
At the inquest, Chanel Williams—James’s sister—spoke to the stigma that still clouds drug use. She questioned whether this societal pressure had prevented her brother from seeking the help he needed earlier in the year.
“It’s hard for me because I think, if that stigma wasn’t there, would my brother have sought the help he needed?” – Chanel Williams
Dr. Kerry Taylor’s toxicology report showed that Williams had above average levels of ketamine in his body. These concentrations were rarely fatal. Officers discovered five drug crack bags inside one of his buildings. One was found in a bedroom drawer and another in a bathroom garbage. His friends and family reported that Williams sometimes used ketamine. They were assured of his mental condition leading to his death.
The medical cause of death was subsequently ruled as cardio-respiratory arrest secondary to ketamine.
“The medical cause of death is cardio-respiratory arrest due to ketamine use. The conclusion, on the balance of probabilities, is that I’m satisfied that James Williams’s death was a misadventure; he took ketamine but he did not intend to take his own life.” – Jacqueline Devonish
Following the inquest, Williams’s family promised to work with drug charity Adferiad. They’re gearing up for campaign periods ahead in which they’ll continue to address important drug issues and educate the public. James is looking forward to more opportunities in TV and stage. This eagerness is a window into his long-term hopefulness and dreams.