RuPaul’s Drag Race Interview: Scarlet Envy: “If Anyone Was Thrown Under the Bus, It Was Me”

By Christopher Rudolph


Scarlet Envy has had her last dance of the season on RuPaul’s Drag Race.


The “southern aesthetics with New York City grit” was asked to sashay away this week immediately after her disastrous dance skills while in the Draglympics maxi-challenge. Scarlet came into the competition as a red hot bombshell — although some of the females gave her the cold shoulder, eventually leading the queens to tell Ru that Scarlet should be the one sent packin’.


We talked with Scarlet about her dancing moves, if she agreed with RuPaul’s choice to send her residence, and if All Stars Season 5 was in her future.


MTV News: as soon as you were packing up your workstation on Untucked you mentioned you had “a lot to work on.” What did you learn about yourself while filming Drag Race?


Scarlet Envy: What I learned about myself was what mentioned Whenever I was packing up. I’m never going to be a finished product. An eight count doesn’t dictate what your entire worth is. It’s a balancing act for Drag Race and in back of. Just existing day to day. It’s okay to be figuring that out.


MTV News: What surprised you the most about filming the show?


Envy: I habitually knew I was a ten, yet I didn’t know I would just be in tenth place. Honestly, just how hard it was. The dolls on TV make it look easy I guess, nevertheless it’s definitely not.


MTV News: Did your drag mother, [Drag Race Season 7 contestant] Pearl, have any suggestions for you?


Envy: She would have notified me to certainly stay awake I think. She’s routinely been really cooperative and lent me a bodysuit or two.


MTV News: I feel like you became a fan preference. Your popularity kept increasing week over week. Was that a surprise to you? What did that feel like?


Envy: It was a surprise to me, although it was a pleasant surprise. I love all the outpouring of love. That’s something I didn’t really expect because As soon as I left the show I felt like I had let myself down and that has been a process to work through.


MTV News: You were very open about your lack of dancing skills. Did you think that not being able to dance would hurt you in the competition?


Envy: Absolutely! I’ve routinely been worried about that. My show lives in the more cabaret, downtown East Village world. People ask me if I’m as delusional in real life as I come across on television and I habitually answer: “Yes! I absolutely am!” That being mentioned, I know what I can and can’t do. I’m aware of it.


MTV News: So whenever Ru asked all of the females who they thought should go residence and all of these mentioned you, were you surprised by that? What was going through your mind as soon as that was happening?


Envy: You know, I am going to have to mention I wasn't surprised by it. I knew somebody needed to take the blame, so you know — I'm not gonna stand in front of Mother Ru and mention my own name. Surprised or not, I'm not gonna do that.


MTV News: I was surprised that Ra'Jah [O’Hara] was surprised that you mentioned her name.


Envy: I think we all are. [Laughs] I mean, if anyone was thrown under the bus, it was me, by all of those. So for anybody to complain that they were thrown under the bus… yeah.


MTV News: You're very vocal about your lack of dance skills, although I loved your “Last Dance” Lip Sync for Your Life. I thought that was really fun. First off — where did those scissors come from?! As soon as did you put those in your bra?


Envy: Just like any good queen, you routinely have a weapon between your tits. You never know any time you're gonna need it. Also it just completes your outfit! [Laughs] You know, I may not be the world's best dancer, however I am a performer and have survived onstage to keep the lights on. So, you know, she can serve you a show.


MTV News: You definitely proved it. Were you surprised by Ru's decision about who won the lip sync? I think fans were.


Envy: I was very surprised. I was surprised in person, and any time Whenever I watched it back.


MTV News: What's coming up next for you?


Envy: Well, I have a cabaret show in New York coming in May at the Laurie Beechman Theater. I am also touring. I just wrapped up a Midwest tour where we hit up a lot of astonishing cities. I'm really looking forward to DragCon, which is going to be my first DragCon as a Ru girl. It's gonna be really exhilarating. I just love interacting with fans — meet-and-greets are my preferred thing to do, other than dance. [Laughs]


MTV News: I feel a campaign has already been began by the fans for you to be on All Stars Season 5. So I in the event you got the call to be All Stars, would you do it?


Envy: Absolutely, I would do it! If Mama Ru calls, you know I'm gonna pick up the phone.


RuPaul's Drag Race airs Thursdays at 9/8c on VH1.