The Vivienne star James Lee Williams’ cause of death confirmed as their heartbroken sister shares statement

‘Ketamine is an extremely dangerous drug that is becoming more and more prevalent’

The cause of death for The Vivienne has been revealed by the star’s heartbroken manager.

The RuPaul’s Drag Race star was found dead at their home on January 5. They were 32 years old.

Now, after an inquest into their death was adjourned until the summer, the performer’s manager and friend Simon Jones has shared a new statement.

The Vivienne died earlier this year (Credit: SplashNews.com)

Death of The Vivienne

On January 5, it was announced that The Vivienne – James Lee Williams – had sadly passed away aged 32.

The star was found at their home in Cheshire by their father and stepmother.

The family released a statement, paying tribute to the star.

“It is with immense sadness that we let you know our beloved James Lee Williams – The Vivienne, has passed this weekend. James was an incredibly loved, warm-hearted and amazing person,” the statement read.

James was an incredibly loved, warm-hearted and amazing person.

“Their family are heartbroken at the loss of their son, brother and uncle. They are so proud of the wonderful things James achieved in their life and career,” they then continued.

“We will not be releasing any further details. We please ask that James’s family are given the time and privacy they now need to process and grieve.”

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A post shared by THE VIVIENNE (@thevivienne_)

Inquest into the death of the Vivienne

In February, an inquest into the death of the star was opened at Cheshire Coroner’s Court in Warrington.

In the brief hearing, which reportedly lasted two minutes, it was revealed that Williams had been found dead in their bathroom at home by their father.

Coroner’s officer Amanda Edgar confirmed this, and said: “Post-mortem testing has been undertaken, identifying an unnatural cause of death.”

The hearing was also told that Williams had been identified by their father, Lee Williams.

Area coroner Victoria Davies then said: “Given the unnatural cause of death identified on post-mortem testing it is appropriate for me to formally open the inquest into the death of James Lee Williams.”

She then added that further investigations are needed. The case was then adjourned and a full inquest is listed to take place on June 30.

Cause of death of The Vivienne revealed

Earlier this afternoon (March 17), The Vivienne’s friend and manager Simon Jones shared a statement.

In it, he revealed the cause of death of The Vivienne star James.

He shared that they died “from the effects of ketamine use causing a cardiac arrest”.

Simon added: “I hope that by us releasing this information, we can raise awareness about the dangers of ongoing ketamine usage and what it can do to your body. Ketamine usage is on the rise, particularly amongst young people, and I don’t think the full dangers of the drug are being discussed.”

Throughout their career, James was open about their past struggles with drug addiction, particularly ketamine.

The star’s sister Chanel added: “We continue to be completely devastated by James’s sudden death. Ketamine is an extremely dangerous drug that is becoming more and more prevalent in the UK. If we can help raise awareness of the dangers of this drug, and help people who may be dealing with ketamine addiction, then something positive will come from this complete tragedy.”

The Vivienne’s funeral was a star-studded affaie (Credit: BBC)

The Vivienne’s funeral

On January 27, the funeral of The Vivienne took place in Denbighshire, North Wales.

The star’s coffin was transported to the church via horse-drawn carriage.

Inside, The Vivienne’s coffin was adorned with white floral arrangements. There was also a white dove released from a cage outside of the church.

The tributes on the hearse read “James”, “Vivienne”, and “Son”. Another floral arrangement was made into the shape of a witches’ hat, a nod to the star’s Wizard of Oz stint.

Several stars were in attendance, including Jade Thirlwall, RuPaul’s Drag Race UK stars Tia Kofi, Baga Chipz and Cheryl, and Claire Sweeney.