Actress, singer, Broadway phenomenon, international superstar, and two-time RuPaul's Drag Race winner Jinkx Monsoon embarked on her latest tour, Jinkx Monsoon: Magia Majora, without realizing that she was about to experience a truly magical and completely unexpected moment.
Prior to the live show of Magia Majora in São Paulo, Brazil on Tuesday, August 20, Jinkx found herself being gooped, gagged, and gathered when meeting a fellow drag queen who was wearing a robe that Jinkx thought she had lost 10 years ago while also performing in Brazil.
But if you think this story ends there… well, let's just say that Out took a much deeper dive to tell the full story behind this adorable, hilarious, and almost unbelievable moment.
"10 years ago, I lost a garment on tour and always wondered what happened to it," Jinkx wrote in an Instagram post with a video of her meeting this fellow drag queen during the Meet & Greet. "Turns out, some very sweet queens in São Paulo have been sharing it over the years."
In the video, Jinkx gave a shout-out to Geoffrey Mac — the winner of Project Runway season 20 — for designing the robe. And when asked if she wanted it back, Jinkx immediately quipped back: "No! I want you to keep sharing this! Give it to another drag queen here. I love that story. I'm so glad it didn't just disappear! This makes me so happy. I've often wondered, 'Where the hell did this thing go?!"
The Chicago and Doctor Who star hugged the fellow queen and got visibly emotional while processing the story of this robe being shared by various drag artists in Brazil over the span of nearly 10 years.
"This has been wildly special, and just keeps getting sweeter," Jinkx tells Out in an exclusive statement. "Geoffrey sent me a video message, with tears in his eyes, saying how special this feels. It's just one of those magical moments that can happen when you invest in your community; even forgetting a garment in a hotel room can turn into a special thing amongst friends."
Seripha Sigma, the queen who is seen wearing Jinkx's long-lost robe in the video, spoke with Out and spilled ALL the tea about this magical moment.
Born in a Brazilian city called Cascavel, Seripha started doing drag after moving to Porto Alegre — where she lived for 11 years. Seripha has been living in São Paulo for a year now, where she works as a drag performer and DJ (and, out of drag, as a graphic designer).
"The story of Jinkx's robe starts in Porto Alegre, which is the capital of a very conservative state called Rio Grande do Sul," Seripha tells Out. "Even though there are only a few places to perform, we have a pretty expressive drag scene here. The Vitraux club, for instance, has had drag shows every Sunday for over 40 years."
She continues, "We experienced a new peak in our local drag scene in 2015 due to the success of RuPaul's Drag Race. It felt like there were new queens emerging every single night, and local producers here were pioneers in bringing the first RuGirls to Brazil for events like Xtravaganza and Festa Biba. The entire community revolved about those events, which occupied spaces where no drag queen would normally be."
"On November 7, 2015, producers held a new Festa Biba event at Bar Opinião — the most famous concert venue in the South region of Brazil, which previously hosted superstars like Bob Dylan, Deep Purple, and the Ramones. We had Jinkx Monsoon as the main attraction for that event, in addition to a huge lineup of local drag artists."
Jinkx Monsoon performs in 'Festa Biba' event, at Bar Opinião, on November 7, 2015.Carter Anunciação/Instagram (@cartinhoo)
"It should be noted that Bar Opinião has a very small dressing room with a single bathroom, which must be uncomfortable for international stars," Seripha says. "But for local queens, this is a surreal experience, because we have to get ready and share a bathroom right next to some of our biggest idols. I have friends with stories of 'smoking a huge joint with Sharon Needles,' and who remember 'the time when Alyssa Edwards helped me put my wig on.'"
At the time, Seripha was "still a young gay who played with makeup at home." She hadn't yet worked up the courage to step outside of her house wearing heels and perform on stage with her friends. "I went to the events and made illustrations of the artists," she explains. "I didn't always have money to pay for the Meet & Greet, but I always found a way to get my illustrations into their hands."
Hours before Jinkx's headlining show at that unforgettable Festa Biba in November 2015, Seripha heard a rumor that the Drag Race star would be doing a soundcheck in the afternoon. As one does, Seripha (holding her illustration inside an envelope) and a group of friends sat on a sidewalk right outside Bar Opinião and spent hours waiting for the chance to catch Jinkx as she arrived for the soundcheck… except, well, those rumors weren't exactly true!
"When the party producer arrived, he was alone," Seripha recalls. "But he felt bad about our situation, so he ended up giving us complimentary tickets to the Meet & Greet. This was the first of many times that Jinkx would bring me luck."
Seripha Sigma (out of drag) and Jinkx Monsoon at the Meet & Greet of 'Festa Biba' on November 7, 2015.Carter Anunciação/Instagram (@cartinhoo)
Seripha remembers "trembling with emotion" and "not knowing how to speak English properly" when she got to meet Jinkx later that night. "I handed my ink illustration to her and got a signed copy," she says. "Jinkx was so sweet to me!"
That Festa Biba event featured five local drag queens as opening acts. Jinkx then came out with her live-singing performance of "Let Me Entertain You," from the musical Gypsy, wearing what Seripha describes as a "beautiful black sheer robe with crystals on the sleeves."
"At the climax of the song, Jinkx went to the back of the stage and threw her robe into the crowd. She kept going with just the dress she was wearing underneath," Seripha explains. "And then, toward the end of the performance, Jinkx said goodbye by telling us that this was 'just a taste of the Jinkx experience.' She said she'd return one day with a full show to sing all the tracks from her album."
That Festa Biba continued until daybreak after Jinkx's performance, with people sticking around until the music stopped and the lights came on. The last DJ of the event, a former drag queen named Belle Z Boo (now Lucas Garcia), "was collecting her equipment when she noticed something shining between the cables behind the stage," Seripha says. "It was a robe made of transparent black fabric and crystals, which was given to the event producer."
Belle Z Boo in a performance wearing Jinkx Monsoon's robe.Fábio Lutz/Instagram (@fab_lutz)
The event producer for Festa Biba held possession of the robe and "tried to contact all the drag queens who had been in that dressing room, but no one actually claimed it as theirs," Seripha explains. "It was only days later, as we looked at the label, that we realized that the robe could only belong to Jinkx. It was a unique, custom-made robe by Geoffrey Mac. All the producers tried to reach out to Jinkx, who had already left the country, but they weren't able get in touch with her."
Seripha continues, "I always say that having a sense of community is the most important attribute of drag. Drag is still considered a subculture in most places… but in a country like Brazil, we're even more marginalized. On one hand, Drag Race introduced this art form to a large audience and inspired many people like me to start creating art. On the other hand, it created unrealistic and unattainable standards that fans have for artists from emerging countries. Brazil has many original styles of drag, but most of this new audience is looking for the same standards seen on TV."
The issue of keeping up with artistic standards without having the same resources as people in other countries isn't exclusive to drag, nor is it exclusive to Brazil. But artists in different places overcome that obstacle in different ways, "and that's why Latin American drag was born out of the spirit of sharing. It's the only way," Seripha argues. "Everything we have is shared with each other. The rest is done with a lot of hot glue and faith."
In the words of BenDeLaCreme — the drag performer, director, writer, and creative genius going on tour this fall with Jinkx Monsoon for the seventh edition of The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show — "This is all just hot glue and desperation."
Jinkx Monsoon and BenDeLaCreme for 'The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show' 2024 tour.Jacob Ritts/Instagram (@jacob.ritts)
Seripha started pursuing a career in drag and doing her first live shows around 2016, recalling that "it was impossible to go to a drag show in Porto Alegre without seeing the 'famous Jinkx robe' on stage at some point."
And they had a system… or, uh, a sis-tem! "Belle Z Boo was the robe's first keeper, but her drag sister, Sayuri Yang, also performed in it. When Belle retired — today she's more of a fitness muse — she held an estate-sharing ceremony. Some of my sisters got wigs, others got shoes, but I knew exactly what I wanted: I got a hold of the Jinkx robe before there was any debate."
I'm sorry, we need to pause here to really get the visual: the Brazilian sisterhood of Jinkx Monsoon's custom-made Geoffrey Mac robe had a literal estate-sharing ceremony where, against all odds, Seripha emerged victorious for claiming the magical robe before anyone else stood a chance.
Girl, start calling MTV, Paramount, World of Wonder, and anyone else who will listen… I think we've just stumbled upon the campiest, most hilarious docuseries of all time.
Rebeca Rebu in a video performing as Voldemort getting ready for a date while wearing Jinkx Monsoon's robe.Seripha Sigma/Instagram (@seriphasigma)
"When pursuing my drag career, my local sisters were always my biggest inspirations. Almost everything I created came from exchanges between us," Seripha says. "But that's how I became the guardian of the robe. And, in my hands, it's become a sacred amulet that is used for important moments. I ask my sisters to convince me that the occasion calls for it, and then I let them use it."
She goes on, "Rebeca Rebu, for example, had to record a video playing an effeminate version of Voldemort getting ready to go out on a date with a guy to the sound of Beyoncé's 'Naughty Girl' — so I let her wear it! When my husband started putting himself together and was finally hired to perform at the city's main drag bar, I also thought it was an important occasion that deserved to be punctuated with the presence of a robe, so Desirée Aserehe wore it."
"Other drag queens like Savannah Sigma and Lo Litta have also worn the robe over the years, but today it doesn't leave the house too often. One of them jumped through it and opened a hole in the back. Another one accidentally took off several crystals off the lapel. Now it mostly serves as an amulet. Every time I need inspiration, I put on the robe and walk around the house. There was this one time I was feeling very nervous for a job interview, so I put on the robe for a few minutes before leaving the house. And guess what? I got the job."
But wait, there's more! Did you really think the Jinkx Monsoon amulet holder didn't practice witchcraft herself?! "People in Brazil are very superstitious about futebol [soccer] jerseys. Many people can only watch soccer games with a specific shirt," Seripha explains, and this writer can confirm! "If one day the shirt is not worn, the team is bound to lose. And that's how I ended up watching the entire season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 7 dressed in the robe at home, every single time a new episode aired. And, hey, it worked."
Jinkx Monsoon, of course, went on to win that season of Drag Race, being crowned "Queen of All Queens."
If you think this adorable, hilarious, incredible, and truly magical story just couldn't get any better… wrong, you were.
"In August 2022, Jinkx showed details of her house in a YouTube video," Seripha recalls. "And how surprised did you think I was when I saw my drawing framed on her living room wall?!" Now wait a second, this writer thinks. A video of Jinkx showing around her house… surely she must be referring to the Portrait of a Queen video with Jinkx released a few weeks after her crowning on All Stars 7 on the official YouTube channel for RuPaul's Drag Race.
But is Seripha saying that the illustration she gave Jinkx back in that 2015 edition of Festa Biba hanging up on Jinkx's wall?
So we press play on the video, and… yes, there it is. In several frames.
Jinkx Monsoon's 'Portrait of a Queen' house tour in 2022; Seripha Sigma (out of drag) and Jinkx Monsoon in 2015.
YouTube (@rupaulsdragrace); Carter Anunciação/Instagram (@cartinhoo)
Jinkx Monsoon's 'Portrait of a Queen' house tour in 2022; Seripha Sigma (out of drag) and Jinkx Monsoon in 2015.
YouTube (@rupaulsdragrace); Carter Anunciação/Instagram (@cartinhoo)
"Seeing my illustration on Jinkx's wall felt like it certified of our energetic connection. She had something of mine at her house, and I had something of hers at my house," Seripha explains.
For a year now, Seripha has been living in São Paulo, the largest and most populous city in Brazil, which has a big and diverse drag scene full of opportunities… and also of competition.
"For someone whose art has always been come from creative communion, it was very difficult to leave my community and try to find my space in a new drag scene," Seripha says. "Today I live with my husband, who is also a drag artist, and a couple of friends who work as a drag queen and a fashion designer. They make all our costumes. Our house is like a creative studio."
Seripha was immediately excited to hear that Jinkx would be returning to Brazil for a full concert show, and that São Paulo was one of the tour stops. Or, as Seripha puts it, "that Jinkx would finally fulfill her promise to return to Brazil for a show to sing her songs… but now in São Paulo, performing at the same theater where I had just been hired to work as the hostess of the Brazilian production of the Priscilla, Queen of the Desert musical. That's how I started pulling my strings and trying at all costs to get an invite to the Meet & Greet again."
"I was sweating cold in the Meet & Greet queue," Seripha recalls. "I kept passing my phone from one hand to the other. I was afraid of her reaction. Would she hate it? Would she think I stole it? Would she ask for it back?"
Seripha continues, "We've both changed a lot (both for the better, I would say!) in the almost 10 years between our two meetings. Our makeups have evolved a lot, and I've gained all the pounds she lost. But as I started showing her our photos, she instantly recognized the illustration and called her assistant to come closer to us. 'This drawing is on the wall in our living room!' she told me."
"I opened my arms so she could see the details of the robe. 'Do you recognize this?' I asked her, now speaking good English that I tried hard to learn… and her reaction was incredible. She was very emotional, and she laughed, and she loved knowing that the look was shared by so many different artists. At one point our eyes met and we both had tears ready to ruin our mascara."
"Later, during the concert, Jinkx brought up that last time she visited Brazil," Seripha says. "Jinkx talked about how she was 'a different person' back then. Knowing her path to sobriety, her gender transition, and watching the way she looks so much healthier, radiant, and present on stage today, I couldn't feel any happier. I don't know, maybe the story of this robe served as some reminder that all her hard work and all she went through at that time could still bear fruit and evolve into beautiful things that she couldn't even have predicted."
"Jinkx ended she show pointing at me, and she blew me a kiss. But just to be sure, after she left, I went into the dressing room to see if nothing had been left behind," Seripha jokes, laughing. "And, well, there was actually a bouquet of flowers that production gave me, and I brought that home."
"Jinkx posted the video of our meeting on all social networks, tagged me, and wrote about our story," she adds. "My cell phone hasn't stopped beeping for hours. The best of all is that, just today, because of all this exposure from the video and her generosity in tagging me, I've already closed two more important jobs!"
"Did you see that?" Seripha asks me. "Jinkx gives me luck."
