Kobe Bryant Was a Big Fan of RuPaul's Drag Race, Too

Just like many of us, Kobe Bryant was big fan of RuPaul's Drag Race!

During a Wednesday appearance on Ellen DeGeneres' daytime talk show, Mama Ru herself sat down with comedian, actress, and Drag Race guest judge Loni Love (who was filling in for Ellen and doing hosting duties) and the two chatted about a whole bunch of things, from Ru's wig collection, the possibility of a Las Vegas residency, the season 13 Drag Race finale, and perhaps most surprisingly, the late, great basketball legend Kobe Bryant being a big fan of the Emmy-winning, drag-based reality TV competition.

"I knew that people would love that part of it," Ru told Loni when asked if he ever thought the show (which started back in 2009 and has aired multiple seasons in the U.S. and has spun off into different franchises all over the world) would be as big of a hit as it is now. "I didn't know it would be as big as it is."

Loni then asks Ru if had met anyone famous who he was pleasantly surprised turned out to be Drag Race fans, and the TV legend recalled the time he met Kobe and his wife Vanessa Bryant at a hotel in New York.

"Kobe and his wife were in the lobby, and they said that they watched the show, and I was surprised by that," RuPaul said of the NBA great, who, along with his daughter Gianna and seven other people, passed away tragically in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California back in January of 2020.

"It's moments like that that you love, that you know you're doing something good," Loni replied.

Watch Ru chat more with Loni Love on Ellen in the video below!

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