What to Know
RuPaul may be considered one of the most recognizable celebrities out there thanks to his signature look, but what about when he’s not in drag? A photo of the RuPaul’s Drag Race host out of drag has been going viral on social media, and fans can’t get over just how different he looks with a more masculine style… and the comparisons he’s getting to another public figure are actually pretty wild.
A photo of RuPaul is going viral on X.
— Roople Andrea Charlie⚢ (@booinit) March 17, 2026
The photos were taken of RuPaul in 2009 at a Jimmy Choo event, so not only does he look a lot different than he does when he’s in full drag, but he also happened to be nearly 20 years younger than he is today — of course he’s unrecognizable!
This version of the 65-year-old is sporting a bit of facial hair and a very serious expression on his face, though he’s still rocking the bald look that we’ve come to know and love about him.
He actually has a more low-key look these days, but something about this picture was different to fans.
More often than not, we’ll see RuPaul hosting his drag competition show without being in drag himself, but this older picture threw so many fans for a loop that it ended up going viral after a fan shared it on X, with many people admitting they couldn’t believe it was really him.
“In and out of drag, the face card is always tea,” one person responded.
Another wrote, “the fact that RuPaul is so handsome out of drag and isn’t botched is so moving.”
He’s being compared to an unexpected, popular creator on OnlyFans.
lol why was he literally in my dream last night 🫠
— Rhyheim (@RhyheimX) March 17, 2026
As the UK outlet Attitude pointed out, some fans believed that this younger version of RuPaul looked like a popular OnlyFans creator named Ryheim Shabazz, who even ended up chiming in on the discussion with his own comment, asking, “Why was he literally in my dream last night?”
A fan replied, “Maybe it’s a manifestation of something. He needs you as part of the judging panel for an episode.”
RuPaul himself has shared his own take on being in and out of drag, and his belief is that he’s never truly out of drag — and neither is anyone else, because of the way our society works and how people try to present themselves. “Listen, you’re born naked and the rest is drag,” he said on an episode of The View. “Everybody is playing a role. Everyone. And when you get out of the shower, you put on your drag, right?”
“So here’s the thing: Art doesn’t have to explain itself,” he continued. “Drag is art … it’s there to remind you not to take yourself too seriously.”
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