- This is not RuPaul's best friend.
- I feel very attacked.
- If you don't have star quality, get the fuck outta here.
- Oh my God.
- This is Untucked.
Backstage at the competition
to become America's next drag superstar.
Girl, if you're not watching Untucked,
you're only getting half the story.
- Break on the main stage. All cameras repo.
- Thank you ladies.
While you untuck in the workroom,
the judges and I will deliberate.
- It's our very first runway and I'm so excited to be here.
Last season,
Simone was Arkansas first native to make it
to RuPaul's Drag Race.
And now I'm here to follow in her footsteps
and hopefully take the crown back to Arkansas.
- It was important for me to make
a really good first impression on Rue.
And I grew up doing talent shows and stuff.
So I'm thinking that I have a really good chance
of winning this challenge.
- I am so excited to be here.
I'm a little nervous because I chose like,
the most basic drag talent I could possibly choose.
But you know, nerves can be a good thing.
And that's what I just keep telling myself.
- Queens walking.
- Sending the Queens in 3, 2, 1.
- Woowee, oh my fucking God.
- Cocktails!
- I love a nice cock and a tail.
- Yes!
Okay so it's our first untucked,
and I am very excited to be here.
I'm very excited to sit down on the couch
with the other girls and get to know them
a bit better.
- Oh my God. Well, ladies, that was our first runway.
Let's do a cheers.
- [ALL] Cheers!
- To season 14! (all cheering)
- All right!
- Do we want to go down the line
and see how everybody's feeling and all that stuff?
- Daya, how are you feeling, like.
- I know, like, I don't have tons of money.
I don't have expensive gowns.
I'm, I'm not that kind of girl.
- Same.
- My shit's fuckin' falling apart,
but like, I mean, I'm proud of it,
even though my titty's hangin' out.
- Let the nipple free. - Free the nipple.
- You know,
I felt like they more or less liked how I looked.
So, there's a little hope there, but I mean,
it's like just kind of sad to me to hear Ru say, like,
he doesn't know who I am.
Cause it's like,
it took me such a long time to figure out who I was.
And I feel like I'm so confident in who I am,
and not being able to portray that to Ru
is really disheartening to me.
And like, if I gotta fuckin' lip sync,
I'm gonna fuckin' do it.
If my shit falls off my body,
I'm going to just show 'em my titties and let it go.
- It's not a tear away, it's a fall apart.
- Yeah. - And it's still a reveal.
- Whatever happens like, you right now look so beautiful.
- No everyone looks amazing.
- I mean, I know.
- Matty, how are you feeling?
- I honestly don't know how to feel.
I got like a lot of critiques from the judges.
During my number I was really trying to like,
show like emotion.
So I thought that if I was getting into it,
that would make a better performance,
and it actually hurt me.
And I feel like it's like 50/50 chance
like I'm lip syncing tonight.
- You're not giving yourself enough credit.
Like, you're the only one that's like playing an instrument.
So that's like being individually you and that's good.
- They loved your runway.
They didn't once say they didn't like your talent.
- They just wish they could see you more.
- They felt like they wished that you would let them in.
- Yeah. Well, I mean like,
I would feel really good about it if like other girls got
like a lot of awful critiques, but like-
- Shade! (all laughing)
- Hold up, hold up.
No, but what I mean by that is like
the only people that really got negative critiques
was me, Daya, and Deja.
- I do think they're excited about your drag.
And I think what a great way to fuckin' start
with that runway look.
I think you just let everyone know exactly who you are.
- You gave us so much acting and so many ways
of like moving your head and lifting your hands.
It was very finessed.
I loved every second of the runway.
- And they want to see more of you too, you know?
So that's a good thing, you know?
they want you to do better and get better, you know?
- And I want to show them more.
But, you know, fingers crossed.
- How are you feeling?
- Oh my God, not even gonna lie,
I feel on top of the world right now,
'cause girl, I kid you not, I was so,
so very nervous because if I were to fuck up on this,
like, oh my God,
it'll just be so embarrassing for me.
Because this is what I'm known back home for doing.
I'm a lip sync assassin I feel like,
and I don't want to disappoint nobody.
- And you opened the show.
- Oh my God I know- - That's a lot of pressure.
- Girl, it was just amazing.
- You looked so fucking impeccable.
- Thank y'all so much.
And legit, if it wasn't for y'all and like telling me like,
you're going to be fine. Like- - Yeah, we got you girl.
- Y'all are my sisters, like.
- Deja. How you feelin'?
- I feel good about what I presented on the runway.
- You got it babe.
(suspenseful music)
- I feel like the positive of this experience
has weighed off the negative.
It's just hard to not think of the negative.
I feel like I had expectation within myself
and a little bit,
I feel like Ru had an expectation too.
And I feel like I disappointed him.
The thing is, is when we were talking in the workroom,
like he said,
you are exactly what we're looking for in this competition,
your tape, like for him to view my tape.
- Hi Deja!
I am so happy you're here.
You know, because your audition reel was one that I really,
really enjoyed - Really?
- And I feel like you have the background
to really excel in this competition.
- I'm hoping.
- To go from feeling on top of the world
to feeling like you let down an idol.
I feel like I dropped the ball
and I have no one to blame but myself.
I wanted to make sure that whatever I was doing
was authentically me.
Keep in mind, yes I'm comedic, but I'm not a comedy queen.
Like I'm on the whim kind of, yeah yeah.
I'm not a boom, boom, boom, crash.
- It's your crass like, attitude and things like that.
Your quick wit.
- Can I say something to you?
I know people are gonna fall so in love with you.
Can I just be real for you for a second?
Yes, we want to have expectations of ourselves.
Yes, it's good to push yourself.
You have to be, I feel like aware that sometimes
if you have an expectation of what you're going to do,
you could actually go further than that
if you don't have that expectation.
So like, yes, push yourself.
But don't hate on yourself
if you don't meet your expectation.
Whatever. Next time girl, like.
- Thank you. - You're gonna be fine.
- So how you feelin' sis?
- I feel like I'm very self-aware
to the point where it's like detrimental.
I'm so guarded a lot of the time and maybe it's ballet,
maybe it's whatever.
I don't know what it is, but like.
Just this dance thing that I did today,
I was like gonna go on I'm, I'm going to show her
all my 5, 6, 7, 8's, and my pas de bourees.
Forgot they didn't care about that.
- They don't. - They wanna see who you are.
- It was so good. - I'm like, fuck it.
I'm just gonna, you know-
- So clean, you like completely let go.
And we could all see you having fun.
I get it, the ballet training.
Absolutely.
- But it's not even just the ballet training.
There's something protective.
And like, that protection is a wall.
If I got on a plane tonight,
I would be so upset if I was just this the whole time.
Cause who cares about that.
- And can I tell you something?
- What? - Tell her.
- So, when you're talkin about,
imma tell her, but no,
cause I really gravitated towards you like here.
And I just want you to know like that wall,
it's gonna have to come down.
Because I promise like, you stand out just being you.
You really do.
You're unique, but you gotta be you in order to be unique.
See what I did there.
- Okay hunny! - Make you laugh girl!
(all laughing and chattering)
From this point on, cause bitch you ain't going nowhere,
from this point on, I just need you to be you.
- Someone said to me once,
you talk a lot about your childhood
being the happiest place that you remember.
And for me, it was like being in my room.
I used to draw pictures of castles,
and I would wear fabric and dance around my bedroom.
and my dad would go home and I'd hide that shit.
And she was like, picture yourself as a kid.
What is the expression on your face?
And I said, worried.
She was like, why?
And I said I'm like scared about what people think,
like bullies.
And she's like ask that kid what they need.
And as the kid, I said,
I just want to know that I have permission to be who I am.
- Oh my God, yeah.
- Your younger self would be so proud
looking at you right now.
And I want you to like,
keep that in the back of your head at all times.
Like we as queer people go through so much,
especially as kids.
And growing up in general is fuckin' hard,
you know?
So the person that you were then as a child
would be so fuckin' proud of you,
and you need to keep that in your fuckin' head.
- Because you like finally, like,
as a kid, like you're, especially as a gay person
like you always like, oh my God,
I don't even know why I'm getting emotional.
- No let it out. Don't be afraid.
- Like, it's so hard as a kid to like,
not be yourself and like putting on this like facade.
And then like when you finally get to be yourself,
it's like a really big moment in your life.
Growing up I had to fight for acceptance.
It was always something I said or something I did
that was too gay or is too faggy.
And it was never just accepted
for just me having my opinion.
I never in a million years,
like coming from where I came from,
like ever thought I'd be able to make this far.
And I have. - You're here.
- You're here!
- And you know what, we did it by ourselves. Like-
- Yeah. - It's from inside, you know?
And I think every single one of us,
whether we were in the top, whether we were in the bottom,
whatever the situation is,
we have to remember that we're here because of us.
And we should be proud of that, you know,
that is something to be so proud of.
Cause there's tons of queer people that aren't,
they are scared to be themselves.
- Yup. - So true, yeah.
- Oh my God, I didn't think today was gonna be so emotional.
- No girl, let it out. (all laughing)
- And I'm like, I think I'm safe
and I shouldn't be crying that much.
- I obviously have a slightly different journey
than some of you.
- Sorry, we're like leaving you out.
- No, no, no.
- But you have your own journey,
because you have to fight the-
- Like obviously, like I still felt like,
a little different than people I grew up with,
but like honestly like doing drag
and being more part of this, it's like,
it's opened my eyes up a lot more to like, the experience.
It was like, you know, whenever I was in high school,
I thought I was a good ally.
Cause I was like, yeah, I'm cool with gay people.
But I've learned like so much more like being part of drag
and like, you know, like I live in Arkansas.
So like I leave the house in makeup,
like I peek out the blinds before I even go to my car,
you know? And it's like,
I get to the club and like I watch
and make sure no one else is there before I'm going
from the parking lot to the club because like,
I'm not queer. I'm not gay.
But I'm still scared of what might happen to me
because I'm in drag,
because people might perceive me that way.
Honestly, like doing drag,
I feel has like made me a lot more knowledgeable
and like a better like ally for the community.
There's just so many things I didn't like realize.
- 'Cause you're kind of in our shoes in a way.
I know you're straight,
however, to the untrained eye, that doesn't matter.
So you do kind of feel like the fear we have.
So I think that makes you understand even more.
- Yeah. A big eye opening thing for me
was the first time, like,
I went with some friends to like a pride festival,
you know?
And just like seeing like so many different people
and like all different walks of life.
Like, you know,
there's like a million different ways to be queer.
But then like growing up,
you're taught there's only one way to be straight.
And that's not the case.
- Preach the motha fuckin' church girl!
- That is so good!
- People that are like, so like,
intently trying to avoid doing things that are like feminine
or gay, you know, things like that.
You're missing out on like half of like
what life has to offer.
- We're for the gay kids.
But you're for the straight kids that want to drag,
you know what I mean.
- I will say like, I, I don't, I don't want to say like,
I'm for the straight people that want to do drag.
I am for the straight people that want to step out
of their comfort zone and do shit
that's not considered straight.
- Yeah.
- Matty, and we're lucky to have people like you
in our community.
- I am like really privileged to be able to be a part
of the drag scene and everything.
But I honestly don't think that like
a lot of straight people should do drag.
It's not just like a fun thing to do with friends.
Like it is a whole community and like,
if you don't support the art and the people around it,
and the community around it,
then you shouldn't be doing drag.
(all chattering)
- Cheers to you, bitch!
- Yeah! - Cheers to that.
- All right ladies, 5 minutes filming.
- Oh my God. - Oh shit!
- Real quick, everyone down the line,
who do we think is going to win? Go. Matty.
- I think it's between you two and Jorgeous.
- Okay Jorgeous go.
- I think it's this bitch.
Cause girl you showed your personality. They love you bitch.
They love what you're wearing and like.
- Out of everyone,
you were the one that completely showed who you were.
- The mini and the maxi. - Bitch!
- Yes! - You better do it bitch!
- Fingers crossed for you baby.
- I don't want to like be the bitch,
but I have to go put this wig back on.
- I love you all.
- I gotta get my shoes back on.
- If you do have the lip sync bitch,
I know you're gonna eat.
- I know I have to lip sync,
but I'm not scared of lip syncing.
It comes with the territory.
My confidence right now is just shaken.
But this little stumble,
it doesn't define me in this competition.
I'm going to fight tooth and nail,
and show the judges that I deserve to be here.
- This hair is not the same as there wore before ladies.
It's okay though, they won't care.
- Where's the shoes?
- The fact that I'm here and I am in the bottom,
I'm going to have to lip sync for my life,
and prove that I deserve to be here.
It's basically a nightmare to me.
I'm living a nightmare.
- Sister. - What's up baby?
- I think it's gonna be you and me.
- I think so, too.
- Everybody gather your things, let's go.
Time to re stage.
- Shit. - Oh shit.
- I love you. - I love you babe.
I love you so much, okay.
Whoever it is. - Whatever happens.
- How do I look?
- Ooo! - Let's hit it!
- Welcome back ladies. I've made some decisions.
Deja, Daya.
The time has come for you to lip sync
for your life.
Deja Skye, shante you stay.
Daya Betty, sashay away.
- I am sad that my time here is ending so soon.
I feel defeated.
I feel like I have let everybody down.
Definitely feel like I'm packing up too soon.
But, unfortunately this is a competition.
So someone has to be in my shoes.
I'm proud of myself.
Like, only 14 girls got to be here
and I'm very lucky to be one of the 14.
It's a great accomplishment.
It's, it's a feat for me.
And, not a lot of people get to do it.
I don't want to say I'm not as confident
as I thought walking into the competition,
but it's definitely is a 180
from where I thought I would be.
I know that this one little peek of Daya
is not what I have to offer.
For me drag is every face that I have.
Every feeling,
every emotion that goes through my head
is who Daya Betty is.
And the judges only saw one part of that.
And it's hard for me to show the judges
in one week who Daya Betty is
because I'm a million different things.
It's a note.
This one says Daya, my baby,
I felt a true connection with you from the jump.
You're a true star.
Remember this does not define you and you made it.
The world is yours and you're going to slay it.
Love you sis, Deja.
I love Deja. She is incredible.
I just like hate this is what played out for me.
And it's like sad that I'm going to like miss so much
that they're going to get to experience together, you know,
cause that's what I was looking forward to.
But at least I had the time that I had, so.
Well, it's been short but sweet.
I know that even if you go home first in this competition,
you've made it.
I definitely see bright things for me in the future.
You Betty be ready.
I'll see you soon.
Bye!
(gentle music)
(upbeat music)