‘Dancing Diva’ drag queen died after collapsing on stage mid-show – Insider
- A popular drag queen died after collapsing in the middle of her show at a Philadelphia gay bar.
- Valencia Prime, a 25-year-old transgender woman, died of heart disease, a medical examiner said.
- Tributes poured out for Prime, who called herself “Philadelphia’s Plus Size Dancing Diva”.
A popular Philadelphia drag queen died after collapsing in the middle of her show at a gay bar, according to reports.
Valencia Prime, a 25-year-old transgender woman, was performing at Tabu Lounge and Sports bar on Monday when she collapsed on stage, the bar’s owner said, per NBC News.
Paramedics responded to the scene, but Prime was unresponsive, performer Asia Monroe told WPVI-TV. The local medical examiner listed her cause of death as Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease (a form of heart disease) and noted that she died of natural causes, WPVI reported.
“Today we mourn the loss of a very bright and rising star in the performance community and a person who was always full of love and positivity,” Tabu Lounge said in a statement. “We say goodbye to Valencia Prime but we will not forget the light you brought to the stage.”
A post shared by Valencia Prime (@valencia_prime)
A GoFundMe for Prime’s family has raised over $13,000, and the lounge said on Instagram that they are hosting a memorial show in honor of Prime, where donations will also go to the family.
Tributes from other performers poured out for Prime, who called herself “Philadelphia’s Plus Size Dancing Diva” and said she couldn’t “wait to twirl for yall” on Instagram ahead of her last show.
“It happened so fast,” performer Nikita Sinnn Monroe told WPVI. “She was the first person to help me figure out that I was trans.”
“If you didn’t know who Valencia Prime was, you haven’t seen Philadelphia drag!” Monroe said, per WPVI. “Just knowing that she’s up there and looking down on us we’re going to keep performing because I know that’s what she would want us to do.”