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American drag icon and television personality RuPaul revealed his past struggles with drug addiction on Alex Cooper’s Call Her Daddy podcast. In the July 4, 2025 episode (originally aired on March 13, 2024), RuPaul admitted to regularly using substance in his twenties.
"But I wasn’t afraid of drugs. I never shot up or anything… I dropped acid every weekend throughout my 20s. Every weekend, like four hits of acid every weekend," he said.
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Elaborating on his “addiction problem," the drag icon told the Call Her Daddy host that he had “started using” drugs at a very young age. In fact, he began "smoking weed" when he was just 10 years old.
"It was San Diego, California. It was a different, uh, thing. It’s not like the way people think of it today," he remarked.
When Cooper asked if he remembered the experience of trying his “first hard drug,” the 64-year-old responded that he did, adding that at that time, he was probably 13.
"Yes. Um, uh, I was probably 13, and back then, there was something called Red Devils. Uh, and I took a red devil pill. I don’t know where I got it," he explained.
Although RuPaul acknowledged that he had an addiction problem, he noted that the “big thing” was that he “never had any money.” As a result, he was “at the mercy" of whoever he was around to provide him with drugs.
What else did RuPaul say about his drug addiction during his Call Her Daddy podcast appearance?
During his aforementioned Call Her Daddy podcast appearance, RuPaul delved into his past experiences with drug use, offering raw insights into how substances had shaped his life.
Speaking with Alex Cooper, the drag performer asked the host if she had "ever dropped acid", referring to the use of LSD.
When the Call Her Daddy host replied that she had not, the drag icon launched into an explanation of what LSD had felt like for him.
"It was the proof I had that this world is an illusion. That everything you think you know about solid objects or what people are is a lie… It lifts the veil off of the illusion, the fantasy that we all collectively agree to in our lives," he said.
He further explained to the Call Her Daddy’s host how others had reacted to his use of the drug. He shared that some people would “freak out” and say things like "oh my god". He added that those were the people to whom it had never occurred that the world might be an illusion.
Later in the episode, Cooper asked RuPaul if fame ever made him paranoid about people judging him for drug use. The drag icon, in his response, explained that during his twenties, he was only “downtown famous.” He stated that he did not achieve global recognition until the age of 32, by which time he had quit most drugs, sticking only to weed.
However, he added that during his late thirties, he found himself using cocaine again.
"And then in my late 30s... I was doing a little bit of coke, a little bit too much coke… but really in private with friends, so I would never be—I would be stoned," he explained.
Looking back during the aforementioned Call Her Daddy episode, RuPaul also admitted that his relationship with drugs had spanned three decades. He further revealed that while the "first 20 were a blast" and that he had a "great time", the "last 10" years of his drug use were "pure hell."
While reflecting on the darker years, the drag icon talked about his resort to substances for his survival.
"It gave me a layaway plan, a deferment plan until I was strong enough to deal with what was going on. Thankfully, I found a 12-step program that really, really, really helped me... I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for that… The success I have today, I wouldn’t have that if it weren’t for this 12-step program," he added.
RuPaul is currently busy with various projects related to RuPaul's Drag Race, including filming season 18 of the show.
Alex Cooper’s Call Her Daddy podcast, on the other hand, releases new podcast episodes every Wednesday.
