
‘RuPaul's Drag Race' star Jiggly Caliente dies after ‘severe infection'
Castro-Arabejo, who became a judge on Drag Race Philippines in 2022, scrapped plans to appear on the upcoming season after a recent hospitalization for a 'severe infection' and a leg amputation surgery, her family said in a statement on her Instagram page.
Story continues below advertisement
She died early Sunday, her family said in another statement.
'A luminous presence in the worlds of entertainment and advocacy, Jiggly Caliente was celebrated for her infectious energy, fierce wit, and unwavering authenticity,' her family said Sunday. 'She touched countless lives through her artistry, activism, and the genuine connection she fostered with fans around the world.'
Castro-Arabejo competed on the fourth season of RuPaul's Drag Race and later on RuPaul's Drag Race Allstars.
Get breaking National news
For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy
'Her talent, truth, and impact will never be forgotten, and her legacy will continue to slay — always,' said a statement from RuPaul's Drag Race posted on X. 'We're holding her family, friends, and fans close in our hearts during this difficult time.'
Story continues below advertisement
We are devastated by the passing of Jiggly Caliente, a cherished member of the Drag Race family. Her talent, truth, and impact will never be forgotten, and her legacy will continue to slay—always. We're holding her family, friends, and fans close in our hearts during this… pic.twitter.com/wkDXQKfwoy
— RuPaul's Drag Race (@RuPaulsDragRace) April 27, 2025
Born in the Philippines, Castro-Arabejo immigrated to New York. She started working in drag about 20 years ago, appearing in competitions and pageants. She noted the influence of her upbringing in her work and its importance for representation in the industry. In 2018, she released a hip-hop album called T.H.O.T. Process, including a track where she raps in Tagalog.
During a 2023 episode of reality show Bring Back My Girls, which reunites different performers from the Drag Race franchise, Castro-Arabejo said her work as a judge was important because of her heritage.
'When it comes to my culture, I live and breathe that I am Filipina,' she said. 'I am a proud immigrant woman.'
Story continues below advertisement
She publicly came out as transgender in 2016 on a podcast, partly because she said she received letters from fans who were struggling with their own gender identities.
'I wanted to come out because I was ready to come out. I have been living as a trans woman for so long, but I just never told the audience and the fans that,' she said in a 2018 Billboard interview. 'I was actually transitioning while I was on the show, I just never talked about it. I didn't want it to be my storyline, because being a trans woman is not what defines me.'
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Global News
7 hours ago
- Global News
White House slams ‘South Park' for satirical depiction of Donald Trump
Another television show has found itself in the crosshairs of the White House's wrath, this time for a satirical animated depiction of President Donald Trump in bed with Satan, among other pointed jabs. Speaking to multiple outlets on Thursday, White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers called Comedy Central show South Park a 'fourth-rate' show and said the program 'hasn't been relevant for over 20 years and is hanging on by a thread of uninspired ideas in a desperate attempt for attention.' On Wednesday night, during the show's 27th season premiere, South Park depicted Trump arguing with the Canadian prime minister, joining Satan in bed as a lover and made several jokes about the size of Trump's penis. Always following the news of the day, the South Park episode also mentioned the 'Epstein list,' with Satan accusing the president of being on it, while cartoon Trump dodges his accusations. Story continues below advertisement At one point, Trump strips off his clothes to get into bed with Satan and Satan mentions he heard that the president was on the Epstein list. 'The Epstein list? Are we still talking about that?' Trump responds. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'Well, are you on the list or not? It's weird that whenever it comes up, you just tell everyone to relax,' Satan continues. Trump replies, 'I'm not telling everyone to relax! Relax, guy!' 'The Left's hypocrisy truly has no end – for years they have come after South Park for what they labeled as 'offense' content, but suddenly they are praising the show. Just like the creators of South Park, the Left has no authentic or original content, which is why their popularity continues to hit record lows,' Rogers told Fox News Digital. Story continues below advertisement 1:48 Paramount to pay Trump $16M over '60 Minutes' interview with Kamala Harris The show also mocked media conglomerate Paramount over its recent settlement with Trump, which came ahead of a planned merger with Skydance that will require the approval of Trump's Federal Communications Commission. The South Park episode aired just days after creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone reached a massive streaming deal with Paramount, valued at more than US$1 billion. In recent days, Trump and the White House have lashed out at several Hollywood figures, including Stephen Colbert and Joy Behar, for their criticisms over their administration. View image in full screen The animated cast of 'South Park.'. Comedy Central / Courtesy Everett Collection


National Post
8 hours ago
- National Post
Toronto police open hate-crime investigation after ArtHouseTO shares 'Death to the IDF!' image
Article content The refrain, chanted by British rap duo Bob Vylan during a performance at the Glastonbury Festival in June, was reshared on the social media account of ArtHouseTO alongside a cartoon of a skeleton wearing a military helmet with the Israeli flag and a bullet hole dripping with blood. Article content Article content 'Hell yeah! From the river to the sea, Palestine must be free, will be, Inshallah, it will be free!' says the original post, which was published on June 29 by @ryanazak and then reshared by ArtHouseTO. Article content Article content Toronto, CA 🇨🇦 ArtHouseTO is not just a controversial "art" space, it's a hub for dangerous, pro-Hamas propaganda. In addition to their disturbing and potentially criminal promotion of 'DEATH DEATH TO THE IDF', targeting Israeli soldiers in the only Jewish state with mandatory… — FactsMatter (@AllFactsNoHate) July 8, 2025 Article content On June 30, Facts Matter, an antisemitism watchdog group, reported the matter to the Toronto Police Service (TPS). On July 16, Facts Matter issued a press release announcing a hate-crime investigation had been opened. TPS independently verified the development this week, telling National Post in a brief written statement 'that the Hate Crime Unit is investigating' the matter. Article content Article content 'We applaud the Toronto Police for acting swiftly and taking this matter seriously,' Canadian journalist and Facts Matter founder Warren Kinsella said in the press release. 'Hate has no place in Toronto, and no amount of artistic expression can disguise the promotion of violence and bigotry.' Article content ArtHouseTO co-creator Geoff Doner told the Post in an email on Tuesday that the artwork 'was another artist's (not our work) creative rendering of a chant heard at Glastonbury Festival, artwork we felt culturally relevant at the time. Article content 'Because we take responses to our content seriously, we chose to take down the artwork as it was deemed offensive by some,' Doner said. Article content Although the graphic has been deleted, ArtHouseTO has left several messages of support for the statement on their Instagram feed. On July 2, the communal art group reposted another message defending Bob Vylan's call. 'Chanting 'Death, Death to the IDF' is a morally required rallying cry against a genocidal army that continues to mass murder, starve, torture, rape, displace and maim Palestinians at an unprecedented rate,' reads the post from @jewssaynotogenocide. Article content Article content Two days later, ArtHouseTO reposted a social media message from an Australian commentator bemoaning how 'people opposing genocide are called hateful Nazis, where genocidal soldiers are a protected group and chanting for their death is a hate crime.' Article content Other controversial posts ArtHouseTO has reportedly reshared on Instagram include one from @cakes_stencils, which shows a cartoon stick figure throwing the flag of Israel in the garbage above the caption: 'Zionism will be thrown in same garbage dump of history of exploitative and racist ethno-nationalist ideologies,' listing white supremacy, Nazism and Apartheid South Africa.


Toronto Star
9 hours ago
- Toronto Star
Have you seen Sacha Baron Cohen's ‘jaw-dropping' makeover? Every man over 50 needs a Marvel gig
Sacha Baron Cohen has gotten buff for his role as Marvel villain Mephisto. You could iron your shirt on his rock-hard belly, writes Vinay Menon. mensfitnessuk/Instagram Opinion articles are based on the author's interpretations and judgments of facts, data and events. More details