'RuPaul’s Drag Race' Interview: Ra’Jah O’Hara: 'The Inner Saboteur Ru Speaks About is Definitely Real'

By Christopher Rudolph


Ra’Jah O’Hara is piece of the legendary Residence of Davenport, so she had a lot to live up to while she sashayed into the workroom on this season of RuPaul’s Drag Race. She was referred to because the lip-sync assassin, however immediately after being in the bottom numerous times, Ra’Jah was finally sent house by her Davenport sister, A’Keria.


MTV News talked with Ra’Jah about lip syncing for her life, listening to her inner saboteur, and if she agreed with judge Michelle Visage that her farm-to-runway look was serving Groot realness.


MTV News: Can we talk about the drama on Untucked? Because tensions were running high backstage! What was going through your mind because the women were arguing together?


Ra’Jah O'Hara: Well, at that moment, I was a bottle of emotions. Whenever I actually walked backstage I had an emotional moment where I instructed them females I loved them, and this was probably going to be my last time with them. Then the next thing I know, the females begin popping off! It was sort of hard to get in the correct headspace to create for my lip sync. There was so much emotion and energy in the room it was overwhelming.


MTV News: I know it wasn’t fun to be in the bottom three times, yet as a viewer it was good because we got to be able to see the lip-sync assassin slay that stage!


O'Hara: Thank you! I appreciated that! I’m just doing what I attempt to do. If I couldn’t show the judges who I was, and show them why I was wonderful in the challenges, at least they got to be able to see what I do as an entertainer, and how I am a dynamic performer.


MTV News: What was it like going up against A’Keria?


O'Hara: That was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. Mainly because I know her, we had a relationship prior to the show. I don’t aspire to do the song against her. Any time As soon as I first got the song, I hated it! [Laughs] However the lip sync was hard due to the emotional connection I have with A’Keria.


MTV News: Did you feel pressure going into Drag Race because you had to live up to the Home of Davenport name?


O'Hara: I didn’t feel any pressure because I felt the legacy that Sahara and Kennedy [Davenport] led with was so good, that I had nowhere else to go yet up. Whenever I even thought auditioning, Kennedy was the initial person to tell me, “You certainly have a shot. So do it.” I didn’t have any expectations except going to the show and representing myself, although I was coming from the Home of Davenport.


MTV News: What was it like having Yanis Marshall as a dance teacher? It looked intense.


O'Hara: Once we first got there and noticed out Yanis was the visitor, I was so excited because I was such a fan of his work. Dancing in front of him was super fun, although then midway it just got harder and harder. It was very intense. It was a lot harder than I thought it could be. We’ll just leave it at that.


MTV News: As you were leaving the workroom, you mentioned you had been “overthinking” everything throughout the competition. Do you know you got in your own head also much?


O'Hara: For sure. I 100 percent I got in my own head. That inner saboteur Ru speaks about is certainly real. There really are things that create that self saboteur, also. Like being in the bottom three times, being failed to notice. It’s hard to be noticeable in an audience of females that have so much personality. I know right now what I have could have done differently.


MTV News: Who are you placing bets on to create it to the final four?


O'Hara: We gotta throw A’Keria in that mix since she sent the lip-sync assassin residence, and I know she's a fierce competitor. I’m hoping my sister brings it residence for the Big D and the Home of Davenport. We want and require that crown. Then Silky and Vanjie are my house women, and then I’ll throw Yvie in there as well because I love Yvie.


MTV News: What happened to your burlap runway look? Do you still have it?


O'Hara: piece of it is in the trash. As soon as I took those pants off, I threw them in the trash. Those pants were the death of me. However I have reworked that distinct look onto a different creation, and I still have the best and the bark pieces, so I’m really excited for each person to be able to see what it looks like now.


MTV News: Do you visualize right now how Michelle [Visage] thought it seemed like Groot from Guardians of the Galaxy?


O'Hara: You know, I had actually never seen that movie up until I got back from the show. What is Groot? A little bit tree root. So it works because my runway story was I’m a tree that has habitually been strong, yet is being uprooted to a different terrain. And right now I am deeply rooted in my drag, in my art, and I am completely blossoming.