Jiggly Caliente, drag queen who gained national prominence on “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” dies at age 44

Jiggly Caliente, a beloved drag queen who competed on “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and transgender rights activist, has died at the age of 44, her family said in a statement posted on social media Sunday.

Bianca Castro-Arabejo, known by her stage name Jiggly Caliente, was going through what her family said was a “serious health setback” over the last month.

“Due to a severe infection, she was hospitalized and, as a result, has undergone the loss of most of her right leg,” the family’s statement said three days before they announced she had died.

Her family said Castro-Arabejo “passed away peacefully” on Sunday morning and that she was surrounded by loved ones. They remembered her as an entertainer and advocate who had “infectious energy, fierce wit, and unwavering authenticity.”

“Her legacy is one of love, courage, and light. Though her physical presence is gone, the joy she shared and the space she helped create for so many will remain forever,” her family’s statement read. “She will be deeply missed, always loved, and eternally remembered.”

Caliente first walked into the spotlight as a contestant on the award-winning hit reality show “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” The Philippines-born drag queen competed on season 4 of the show and on the sixth season of its spin-off, “RuPaul’s Drag Race All-Stars.” She became one of the most recognizable names from the show and went on to act in other TV series including “Broad City” and “Pose,” as well as appearing as a judge on “RuPaul’s Drag Race Philippines.”

In 2016, Castro-Arabejo publicly came out as a transgender woman. 

“Drag was the awakening for my transness,” she told Mega magazine in an interview last year.

Following the announcement of her death, tributes from fellow “Drag Race” contestants were posted to social media, including from Caliente’s “drag daughter” and season 14 contestant June Jambalaya.

“Jiggly wasn’t just my drag mother she was my safe place, my human diary, my compass when I was lost,” Jambalaya said in an Instagram post. “There were so many moments I came to her broken, defeated by the business I love so much,a business that I felt didn’t always love me back. And every time, she reminded me of my worth: how beautiful, how talented I was, how my gift could never be measured by a placement on a show.”