"The player got played" — RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars' Mistress stands by unfiltered strategy amid season 10 backlash

Mistress Isabelle Brooks clarified her approach to the RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 10 bracket system following criticism from fans and fellow contestants. In a June 5, 2025, interview with Entertainment Weekly, she responded to accusations of manipulation by explaining that her gameplay directly reacted to how other queens presented themselves.

“Baby, it takes one week to fall behind and you’re out the game. She thought she had it figured out, but the player got played,” Mistress said, referencing Tina Burner.

Despite the backlash, she maintained that her actions aligned with the game’s structure and should not be taken personally outside of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars.

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Mistress Isabelle Brooks addresses RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 10 controversy and explains point strategy

Pushback from fellow queens

Several RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars contestants, including Kerri Colby, Nicole Paige Brooks, and Tina Burner, voiced concerns over Mistress's decision-making during the bracket’s point allocation phase. Tina, in particular, became a target after expressing what Mistress interpreted as contradictory behavior.

“As soon as she walked in, Tina made it apparent. When you go up to someone and the first thing you say is you’re unbothered, that means you’re bothered and looking out for them,” she explained.

Mistress explained that Tina made herself a clear target by drawing attention early on, placing the "bullseye" on her own back, which led Mistress to engage with her in the game.

Kerri and Nicole’s reactions were highlighted during the episode when they realized their points were taken but not returned. Mistress and Jorgeous had formed a last-minute decision to withhold reciprocation, disrupting what others saw as a mutual strategy.

“That’s why I kind of had no respect for Kerri and Nicole, because y’all are in la-la-land, not realizing the severity that what’s going to happen is going to go by very fast,” Mistress stated.

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Reaction to fan and community criticism

Mistress also addressed the Drag Race community’s response to her bracket tactics. While some viewers and queens saw her actions as controversial, Mistress defended her intent and emphasized the nature of reality competition.

“I’ve gotten calls from every major Drag Race girl worshipping me acting a fool. I went into everything with no strategy. I’m just literally mentally ill” she told Entertainment Weekly.

When asked about the backlash, Mistress downplayed its impact and expressed that she believes more people should celebrate the "shenanigans", as she considers that to be a central element of drag culture.

“The sooner people stop crucifying the girls for making good TV, that’s when we’ll get more iconic moments just like this," she added.

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Separating TV from real life

Throughout the interview, Mistress distinguished between her behavior on-screen and her conduct in everyday life. She reiterated that her decisions were made within the boundaries of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars and not meant to reflect her off-camera relationships.

“To me it’s just TV,” she stated. “I don’t give a f*** 'ruining' people’s lives and acting a fool on TV.”

She also commented on the expectations of the show’s format.

“I think for any b8tch to take this serious, you must not know what you’re signing up for...That’s like if we went on Family Feud and I’m f***ing crying because I lost. That sounds stupid as f***. We’re all here to play a game," she added.

Mistress concluded that strategic gameplay is part of the show’s design, and viewers should consider that before forming judgments.

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New episodes of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 10 air every Friday on Paramount+.