Manila Luzon on Naomi Smalls feud: ‘Some of us are looking real shiny these days – put that on a headline’
Exclusive: "Not everyone has to like you, because not everyone has good taste," the star told Attitude while promoting her new mockumentary Escape to Paradise
By Dale Fox
Manila Luzon has spoken to Attitude about her new mockumentary Escape to Paradise, while also opening up about her years-long feud with fellow RuPaul’s Drag Race legend Naomi Smalls.
Set on the iconic US queer getaway of Fire Island, the show promises a riotous romp filled with sun, sand, and unexpected shenanigans.
The special follows Manila and her husband/manager Michael Alvarez as they arrive on Fire Island, where Michael has arranged for Manila to perform at the legendary Ice Palace venue. Disaster strikes when Manila’s luggage fails to arrive, sending her into a panic about her upcoming gig.
“I thought I was going on vacation because my husband was travelling for work,” Manila tells Attitude. “I thought I was just going to come along for the ride and get a free vacation, but then the camera crew showed up!”
To take her mind off the stress, Manila invites some colourful friends to join the party – dancer JMV and adult entertainer Ricky Roman. What ensues is a series of outrageous antics, including an impromptu wrestling match in a paddling pool filled with Manila’s own brand of lubricant.
“We have a flavoured lube called Manila Lubez On,” the queen says. “Apparently you can use it for other things besides sexual activities, like wrestling!”
Indeed, the show doesn’t shy away from cheeky moments, including a massage scene featuring Michael in an eye-poppingly skimpy outfit (congratulations, Manila – you’ll understand when you see the show).
Manila Luzon on Naomi Smalls feud
Manila also addressed her relationship with fellow contestant Naomi Smalls following her shocking elimination on RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 4.
“I’ve had very little contact with Naomi [since]. We filmed my music video ‘Go Fish’ together, but I think what happened is the fan base reacted really negatively to my elimination and I don’t think that she was prepared for the backlash. I don’t think a lot of people understood the severity of my fan base, and I think that was underestimated,” she explained.
“When we were thinking of eliminating Valentina a few episodes before, we were all thinking ‘Oh my God, how are Valentina’s fans going to react?’ because we saw how they reacted during her first season on season nine.
“I think the reaction from my fan base tainted our view of each other. There was a point when we tried to get along as friends in the earlier days when there was only like 10-12 new queens each year, but you don’t have to be friends with everyone.”
The queen didn’t hold back when elaborating further: “Not everyone has to like you, because not everyone has good taste,” she remarked. “Or powder, because some of us are looking real shiny these days – put that on a headline!”
Despite the drama, Manila remains positive about drag’s enduring popularity. “It’s great that drag is so popular and that there are opportunities for new drag queens, not just on RuPaul’s Drag Race,” she says. “It trickles down all the way to the local queens.”
Escape to Paradise is out now exclusively on Outflix.