How Cult Leaders Inspired Raja on RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars

It turns out watching all of those documentaries about cults might come in handy someday. 

On the June 10 episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 7, the queens were tasked with writing and delivering commencement speeches to RuPaul, Michelle Visage, Carson Kressley and guest judge Nikki Glaser. 

While most of the queens leaned heavily into traditional, straight-up comedy, Raja took a bit more of a nuanced approach: She imitated an eccentric cult leader. In an exclusive chat with E! News, the Drag Race season three winner said it all came naturally.

“I am obsessed with cults. I find it all very fascinating,” Raja said. “I think about control. How could one leader share their spirituality enough for people to act like lemmings and jump off a cliff? It’s always fascinating to me. I don’t know what it is. It could just be the flowy, white robes and center-parted hair.”

Whatever it is, it worked! Raja placed in the top two, alongside Jinkx Monsoon, and won her first legends star of the competition.