Mercedes Iman Diamond is the stage name of Curran, a drag queen, performer and one of the Season 11 contestants of RuPaul's Drag Race, placing her at 12th. She is the first openly Muslim queen to compete on RuPaul's Drag Race.
This self-proclaimed "African Princess" moved from Kenya to the USA when she was 11, but Mercedes only was born 10 years later at the world famous Gay 90s club in downtown Minneapolis. All about a gorgeous body, Diamond owns any stage she sets foot on, dazzling the crowd with her graceful presence and the expensive bling she's named after. Being the first Muslim Queen on the show, Mercedes hopes to be a voice for others who are too scared to speak for themselves.
Name Origin
"Mercedes" comes from the Mercedes Benz she owned around the time she started her career. "Iman" comes from her same-named sister. "Diamond" comes from her drag mother, Prada Diamond (which makes her part of the "Haus of Diamond").
RuPaul's Drag Race
| Season Competed | Season 11 |
|---|---|
| Ranking: | 12th Place |
| Mini-Challenges Won: | 0 |
| Times as Team Captain: | 0 |
| Times Placed High: | 1 (Ep. 3) |
| Main Challenges Won: | 0 |
| Times Placed Low: | 1 (Ep. 1) |
| Times in Bottom: | 2 (Eps. 2, 4) |
| Episode Eliminated | Episode 4 |
During the competition, Mercedes struggled with her runway looks and her overall confidence, and was generally seen as the 'weakling' of the remaining competitors. After eliminating her friend Kahanna Montrese in an energetic lip-sync in Week 2, she was sent home by Ra'Jah O'Hara in Week 4 after failing to convince the judges in her role as Ivanka Trump in "Trump: The Rusical".
Style
Mercedes does it all. She does pageants, loves to entertain and is always having a good time. Her style is expensive, like her name, as well as sexy. Since she is only 5'3 she doesn't like to wear a lot of clothes and tends to show off her legs. Inspired by 90's Nickelodeon and Bratz dolls, Mercedes' drag is colorful, outgoing, and energized.
Entrance Quote
"Ululululululululululululululay!"
Memorable Quotes
- "Opulence! You, earn, everything!"
- "Opulence! You, own, everything!"
- "I'm checking if she's wearing panties."
- "C'mon waist!"
- "You know where I'm from we didn't have Rachel Maddow, but we did have a goat."
- "I am ready to show the world, Muslim is not a terrorist."
- "Ululululululululululululululay!" (Exit quote)
- "Lemme get my translushent powder."
- "Opulence! You earn everyth- you own everything!" (laughs, at the reunion of Season 11)
- "I am the GOAT: Greatest of all time."
Trivia
- Mercedes Iman Diamond moved to USA from Mombasa, Kenya in 1998, when she was 11.
- She was on the no-flight list for a wide portion of her life, due to her name sounding Muslim. Eventually, she had to go to court and change her name in order to be removed from the list.
- She has suffered two strokes, with one paralyzing her body temporarily.
- She won a few pageant titles, including "Miss Gay 90s", "Miss City of the Lakes", "Miss Queen of Hearts" and "Miss South Dakota Gay United States 2015."
- She is the 1st Muslim "RuPaul's Drag Race US" contestant.
- She is the 1st contestant originally from Kenya and, overall, the 3rd to come originally from Africa, after BeBe Zahara Benet and The Princess.
- She is one of three Season 11 contestants to feature a brand in her name, the other two being A'keria Chanel Davenport and Ariel Versace.
- Her favorite past-contestant is Shangela.
- She was paired with Delta Work for Episode 1's mini challenge, a photoshoot.
- She is the second queen of Islamic faith to compete in a Drag Race franchise, following Vanda Miss Joaquim from Drag Race Thailand (Season 2).
Drag Family
Template:House of Hall Family Tree
Gallery
Season 11 Looks
Social Media
| Winner | Yvie Oddly |
|---|---|
| Runners-Up | 2nd: Brooke Lynn Hytes • 3rd & 4th: A'keria C. Davenport & Silky Nutmeg Ganache |
| Other Contestants | 5th: Vanessa Vanjie Mateo • 6th: Nina West (Miss Congeniality) • 7th: Shuga Cain • 8th: Plastique Tiara • 9th: Ra'Jah O'Hara • 10th: Scarlet Envy • 11th: Ariel Versace • 12th: Mercedes Iman Diamond • 13th: Honey Davenport • 14th: Kahanna Montrese • 15th: Soju |
| Judges | RuPaul • Michelle Visage • Carson Kressley • Ross Mathews |
| Pit Crew | Jason Carter • Bruno Carvalho • Bryce Eilenberg |