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Shea Couleé

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Shea Couleé is an American drag queen, performer, rapper, and one of the Season 9 contestants of RuPaul's Drag Race and placed 3rd/4th alongside Trinity The Tuck.

On May 8, 2020, it was announced that she would be competing on All Stars 5. She won the season in July of 2020, beating fellow finalists Jujubee and Miz Cracker.

Shea also hosts Wanna Be On Top?, a discussion podcast where guests join her to discuss recent episodes of America's Next Top Model.

She later returned to All Stars 7, the first All Winners season of Drag Race. She placed 3rd/4th.

Quick Answers

What season of RuPaul's Drag Race did Shea Couleé first compete in? toggle section
American drag queen Shea Couleé made her initial appearance on RuPaul's Drag Race in Season 9. She later competed in All Stars Season 5, which she won, and All Stars Season 7.
Provided by: Fandom
Which fellow finalists did Shea Couleé beat to win All Stars 5? toggle section
Shea Couleé was the triumphant winner of All Stars 5, outperforming fellow finalists Jujubee and Miz Cracker.
Provided by: Fandom
What is the name of the podcast hosted by Shea Couleé? toggle section
The podcast 'Local Queen' is hosted by Shea Couleé, where she interviews guests about their personal lives, professional careers, and ongoing projects.
Provided by: Fandom
What is Shea Couleé's best lip sync performance on RuPaul's Drag Race? toggle section
The standout lip sync performance of Shea Couleé on RuPaul's Drag Race was her face-off with Sasha Velour in Season 9. This performance gained significance as it became the inaugural lip sync battle between two eventual winners of the Drag Race series, predating Shea Couleé's victory in All Stars 5.
Provided by: Fandom

Name Origin[]

"Shea" is slang spell of her real middle name, Kyei (Swahili for "beautiful boy"). "Couleé" is a reference to the dessert coulis[5] and an East African riddle.[6][7]

Drag Family[]

Couleé had three drag daughters: Kenzie Couleé, Bambi Banks-Couleé & Khloe Couleé. They all represent the drag house, Maison Couleé.

On September 4 2025, all three of Shea's daughters publicly disowned Shea as a drag mother, renaming themselves Kenzie The Dragno, Bambi Banks, and Khloe Park respectively.[8]

Track Records[]

Statistics USA Season 9 USA All Stars
Season 5 		USA All Stars
Season 7
Ranking: 3rd/4th Place 1st Place
(Winner) 		3rd/4th Place
Maxi Challenges Won: 4 (Eps. 4, 5, 9, 11) 2 (Eps. 2, 5) 2 (Eps. 1, 11)
Mini Challenges Won: 0 0 0
Times as Team Captain: 0 1 (Ep. 2) 0
Times in Bottom: 1 (Ep. 10) 3 (Eps. 3, 6, 7) N/A
Episode Eliminated: Episode 14 N/A Episode 12

Memorable Quotes[]

{{#tag: tabber|Season 9=

RuPaul's Drag Race Season 9[]

  • "My name is Shea Couleé, and I didn't come to play, I came to slay!" (entrance quote)
  • "Chicago drag is the motherfuckingbomb.com. That's right, bitch, it's got its own domain!"
  • "Nothing reminds me of home more than a big wiener sandwiched in between 2 buns."
  • "WHY Y'ALL ACTING BRAND NEW? We have to get out of here! Who's after Peppermint? Damn!" (to castmates during Untucked Episode 3)
  • "CHARLIE, DO SOMETHING! CHARLIE, COME ON!"
  • "Mama, you look so good it's damn near sinful." (to RuPaul)
  • "And I don't taste a day over 15." (Naomi Campbell in Snatch Game, to RuPaul after he said she didn't look a day over 16)
  • "I thought about Tyra Banks' modelling career, so I said: the toilet." (as Naomi Campbell in [[Snatch Game])
  • "Michelle, we know you for being a kind patient shero. And gonorrhoea clinics know you as patient zero." (said during Michelle Visage's Roast)
  • "If you liked my performance my name is Shea Couleé, but if you hated it my name is Nina Bo'nina Brown." (said during Michelle Visage's Roast)
  • "Trinity, when's your birthday? I'mma mail you some edges."
  • "I will subpoena Nina."
  • "Messica Simpson." (referring to Nina Bo'nina Brown)
  • "I see the claws comin' out, gurl."
  • "I think we got a real lip sync assassin on our hands!" (referring to Peppermint)
  • "Okay girl we get it, you watch this show a lot"
  • "Oh, SHE DOESN'T KNOW THE WORDS." (referring to Valentina during her lip sync against Nina Bo'nina Brown)
  • “Slay Couleé, look at the edges I snatched today. I see you watching how I sashay, them other girls best get out my way. 'Cause I want, I get it and came up in here and did it. And girl I'm ready to show 'em, how these bitches I own 'em. Got that supermodel switch, Ms. Couleé she a real, real bad bitch. Let me rock this mic, leave 'em in my dust like Tina did Ike. I'm sickening, no? And I'm real fierce too. Chicago in the house, girl whatcha gon' do? About to shut it down, come on Mama Ru, bring the queen her crown. I approve this message and all I'm gonna say is I'm Shea Couleé and I always...” (verse in Category Is)
  • "TIMESTAMP, TIMESTAMP."
  • "When we were doing the promo for the show, you go: 'Shea, I just wanna say: If anyone comes for Nina, I told her that I will stand up for her, and I will make it all right'. And I'm confused!" (Imitating Valentina)
  • "There's no reason to get upset with me, we're just talking." (to Valentina)
  • "Do I look upset to you?" (to Valentina)
  • "Talk shit, get hit."
}}

RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 5[]

  • "I'm blaaack." (entrance quote)
  • "I'm Shea Couleé, I know you have missed me, but it's ok."
  • "Wow Ru, love what you've done with the place."
  • "She's here to save the day!" (commenting on Mariah's entrance look)
  • "WoOoOo!" (impersonating Derrick Barry’s entrance quote)
  • "Mama, the drama!"
  • “Chadwick Boseman. Oh, yeah, girl, he's my boo. The mother-tuckin' Black Panther, what you gonna do? He's tall, dark, long and lean and he rocks my kitty world like you never seen. He's the king and I'm his queen, I'm dreaming about Wakanda life we'll lead.” (verse in I'm in Love)
  • "I might be pretty on the outside, but on the inside I'm pure garbage!" (during the TMZ challenge)
  • "But were you surprised?"
  • “Better be careful how you talk to me. There's no mistaking that I'm the queen. Fall in line, you don't want me to come for you. Ask your homegirl because she got dragged too. Trollin’ on me? Better back down. Want the truth? You better sit down. Give the clap back heard across the world. Need a good reading, then I'm your girl.” (verse in Clapback)
  • "My name is Shea Couleé and I didn't come to slay, I came to WIN!" (victory line)

RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 7[]

  • "Oh. *chuckles* I didn't know I needed an introduction." (entrance quote)
  • "You know they couldn't do an all-winners season without the full Shea Couleé fantasy."
  • "Since winning, I walked in the Savage Fenty Fashion Show, walked arm-in-arm with presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren, three features in Vogue, and the rest is just escaping me because there's so much."
  • "Oh hey, Miss Couleé. *chuckles* Aren't you glad to see me?"
  • "First one in the competition again. Ah, feels so poetic."
  • "Raja Gemini. Oh, you are such a legend, and I'm just so excited that all it took to get you here was the promise of free wine." (Reading Challenge)
  • ♪ "That's right save the best for last, I'm Miss Couleé but did you got to ask? I'm dripped in designer, hot on fire, strutting down the runway building my empire. You better bring the energy, 'cause slaying is my legacy, if you ain't scared of me, miss thing you better be!" ♪ (Verse in Legends)
  • "I don't have anything prepared." (after Jinkx Monsoon blocked Shea with the Platinum Plunger)
  • "I've learned of the platinum plunger's full potential. There is no secret. I made it up."
  • "Whoa, you see that little mint chocolate chip booty over there? Monét, please answer the age-old question. What that booty do?"
  • "It would be like, really sad if somebody, like, accidentally put an iron on that and melted it or something. Oh look, an iron."
  • Shea Couleé"You look beautiful tonight."
    • Jaida Essence Hall: "Don't I?" (to persuade Jaida to not get blocked by the Platinum Plunger)
  • "Look, we're in a fancy new neighborhood, and I know that as a Black bear, I can not call animal control." (as Halle Beary in Fairytale Justice)
  • "Nothing brings you together like getting robbed by a little girl." (as Halle Beary in Fairytale Justice)
  • "JBC, let's team. Like, I got a man, but there's room for three. See how that rhymes? I'm feeling my Flavor Flav right now so hard. Oh my God." (in Untucked)
  • "Monét is finally blocked, so she now knows that I completely made up the secret of the Platinum Plunger to mess with these girls. So I'm looking at Monét like let's try and keep this going."
  • "I have seven loud bitches in here just literally distracting me from every corner. It's a lot."
  • "Hello, drag-uates. When I was asked to speak at today's commencement ceremony, my first thought was "avoid clichés ". However, I realized that, like Jinkx Monsoon's makeup skills, they're not that bad." (Draguation Speech)
  • "How many of us have been reassured growing up that the popular kids don't mature into popular adults? Well, I can say that that statement is false. I was popular then, and I'm popular now." (Draguation Speech)
  • "But, as a young, Black, queer, and femme person, it wasn't always easy. So, one day in the cafeteria, I did the unthinkable. I walked to the center of the room and sat at the cool kids' table. Everyone looked at me like I was delusional. They tried to shade me, but baby, you can't shade the sun." (Draguation Speech)
  • "Now, I know that this story sounds like some clichéd plot from a John Hughes film, but I guarantee you it's not, because I'm Black." (Draguation Speech)
  • "Ah-choo! Actually, I'm allergic to their choreography." (after seeing the dance rehearsal for 2getha 4eva from girl group The Other Girls)
  • "Now, you have myself and Monét, who are skilled dancers. You've got Trinity and Raja, who kind of have two left feet. But if you have two right feet and two left feet, you're gonna get four feet? You're gonna get four regular feet. *Laughs*"
  • ♪ "Hell nah boy, you best stop trippin'. What's wrong, boo, yo CD skippin'? Better not play me like a clown, or like Titanic, it's going down. Like that JLo neck, turn around boo, let me see that back. Just got hit up by your friend 'cause oops, I did it again!" ♪ (Verse in Titanic)
  • "Um, I just wanna let all our fans know that I'm going solo. It's okay, we're still the best of friends."
  • "Oh, I'll let you put your bangers in my mash." (in Untucked)
  • "I'm hungry for being in the top. And I mean, normally I'm vers, but I'm really hungry to be in the top."
  • RuPaul: "So your plan is to snatch some more stars."
    • Shea Couleé: "No, my plan is to go in their hotel rooms and cut up all their wigs."
  • "She walks like an auntie headed to Harold's Chicken Shack after church." (Shea imitating how Monét X Change walks in Untucked)
  • "Can the next challenge be a hot dog eating contest?"
  • Jaida Essence Hall: "Whoopi gave you a boner?"
    • Shea Couleé: "NOBODY SAID WHOOPI GOLDBERG!" (in Untucked)
  • "Everybody smack Trinity's ass for luck." (in Untucked)

Canada's Drag Race Season 5[]

  • Brooke Lynn Hytes: And she always brings it to the runway it's All Stars 5 winner, She Couleé! How do lip-syncs make you feel?"
    • Shea Couleé: "So emotional!"
      • Brooke Lynn Hytes: Oh, cue the rose petals

Trivia[]

Citations This article needs citations

This article is in need of citations to make sure all information stated is correct.

  • Shea Couleé graduated with a degree in costume design on Columbia College in 2011.[5]
    • The summer after her graduation, Couleé started doing drag.[5]
  • Shea speaks French.
    • Even though Shea speaks French, her drag last name is considered to be misspelled, since all French adjectives ending in "é" in the masculine form are followed (and not preceded) by an "e" in their feminine form, thus making "Coulée" look more correct.
  • Shea was named by New York Magazine as one of the top 100 most powerful drag queens in America in June 2019.[5]
  • Shea auditioned five times before appearing on Season 9.
  • Shea had the most challenge wins out of any queen on Season 9.
    • Across their three seasons of competing, Shea has the third most Maxi Challenge wins (8) behind Trinity The Tuck (11) and Ginger Minj (9) as well as the most wins for an African-American queen on the show.
  • Between 2018 and 2020, Shea was nominated twice for the WOWIE Awards, and once at The Queerties Awards.[5]
  • Alongside Monét X Change, The Vixen, and Dax Exclamationpoint, Shea inspired the Marvel Comics' drag queen superhero "Shade".
  • Shea has a dog named Baby Couleé.[9]
  • Sadly, Shea lost her father to cancer two weeks after the Season 9 cast review, and her sister four weeks later to breast cancer.
  • Shea slipped on Sasha Velour's rose petals during their lip-sync on Season 9 finale, but this was edited out of the televised cut.
  • Not including All Stars seasons, Sasha Velour and her are the first pair of contestants to share 2 joint challenge wins.
  • Shea's Season 9 entrance look has Pearl on it.
  • Shea was the first contestant to win three challenges on Season 9, including two consecutive ones.
  • Shea is the third ever contestant to win four main challenges in one season, after Sharon Needles in Season 4 and Alaska in All Stars 2.
  • Shea is tied with Season 5 winner Jinkx Monsoon for the third best pre-finale track record on a regular season behind Season 6 winner Bianca Del Rio, as well as All Stars 1 and Season 1 contestant Nina Flowers.
  • Shea was the first non-winner to have more wins than the winner of her season.
  • Shea was asked to be in both All Stars 3 and All Stars 4, but declined. However, she returned for All Stars 5.
  • Shea is the 30th queen to gain 1 million followers on Instagram, achieving this in June 14, 2020.
  • Shea is the first queen of All Stars 5 to win a lip-sync.
    • She is also the only queen of All Stars 5 to have won any lip-sync and not lose against or tie with the "Lip Sync Assassin".
  • Shea is the third queen to win Snatch Game while portraying a male celebrity, after Kennedy Davenport as Little Richard and BenDeLaCreme as Paul Lynde.
  • Shea is the second queen to win the Ball Challenge, a Rusical and the Snatch Game (after Gigi Goode), however, Gigi won all three challenges in the same season (Season 12), whereas Shea won the Ball Challenge and Rusical in Season 9 and Snatch Game in All Stars 5.
  • Shea is the second queen (after BenDeLaCreme) to be the first to win two Maxi Challenges on two different seasons.
  • Shea made her gold necklace in the "Nude Illusion" runway, the night before in her hotel room. She stated it was made out of a lamé covered cord hot glued to an iced venti Starbucks cup.
  • Shea's All Stars 5 entrance look pattern (blue monstera leaves on pink) has the exact same pattern as Monét X Change's All Stars 4 confessional sweater. Coincidentally, they both won their All-Stars seasons.
  • Shea is the second queen to win All Stars from Season 9, after Trinity the Tuck in All Stars 4. Coincidentally, they both placed 3rd/4th after being eliminated in the finale of their original season.
  • Shea is the fourth queen of African-American descent to win a Drag Race season in a row, after Monét X Change, Yvie Oddly and Jaida Essence Hall. This makes Shea the seventh queen of African-American descent to win Drag Race overall.
  • Shea is the first queen to win with three bottom placements. However, this is only due to the twist introduced in Episode 5. Had it not been for that, she would’ve only had one bottom placement (Episode 3).
  • Shea is the sixth winner to not have the most challenge wins of their season, after her fellow Season 9 contestant, Sasha Velour, Trixie Mattel, Monét X Change, Yvie Oddly, and Jaida Essence Hall.
  • Shea is the first, and currently only, winner of All Stars to have fewer main challenge wins than she achieved on her original season.
  • She is the second All Stars winner to win every lip-sync for your legacy that she was in (Alaska being the first one).
    • Across All Stars seasons, Shea is tied for the second most lip-sync for your legacy wins with Ginger Minj at four behind Roxxxy Andrews (5).
  • Her track record on All Stars is similar to Valentina's run on All Stars 4: both were safe on the Talent Show, they won the second challenge as well as the lipsync and fell in the bottom in the very next episode. Both competed in seven episodes collectively and were up for elimination three times.
  • Shea was previously tied with Alaska for the most money won in a season, $130,000. (Both winning $130,000 in their All Stars season)
  • She referenced Alexis Mateo in her acceptance speech.
  • Shea appeared on 'Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen' alongside Tatianna and Jaida Essence Hall.
  • Shea is the fourth queen to have a tied win, and later be sent home by their tied win partner, after Shangela, Derrick Barry and Alyssa Edwards.
  • Shea is the first ever winner to win a Rusical Challenge however, that was the Kardashians: The Musical on Season 9 (the season where Shea didn't win).
  • Interestingly, the reunion for Season 9 was filmed after the finale, so both Shea and Trinity The Tuck knew they didn't win had to pretend to still be eligible for the crown.
  • Shea revealed that prior to the Season 9 finale, all the Top 4 queens were told to have an outfit with reveal(s). The day before the finale was filmed, two of Shea's outfits were stolen. Due to this, she had to get new outfits made. This is why she was the only queen in the Top 4 to not have a reveal during the finale.
  • Shea is the host of the Moguls of Media-produced America's Next Top Model-themed podcast, Wanna Be On Top?.
  • During both of her All Stars seasons, Shea entered the Werkroom first.
  • Shea revealed in a X post that her original idea for the 'Before and After' portion of the 'Realness of Fortune' Ball, was 'Janet Jackson Pollock' (a combination of Janet Jackson and Jackson Pollock), but production told her that she could only use fictional/ non-licensed characters, and not celebrities. [10]
    • Yvie mentioned, in response to Shea, that production told her that she had to use celebrities, but later updated her letting her know that she could use fictional characters.[11]
  • Shea and Trinity the Tuck are the first pair to finish in the same position on 3 different seasons.
  • Shea and Trinity are the second and third queens to make it to the finale in three different seasons (having competed together in Season 9, Trinity won All Stars 4 and Shea won All Stars 5, then competing against each other in All Stars 7).
  • Shea is the fourth contestant to win a Maxi Challenge across three seasons of competing, following Manila Luzon, Latrice Royale, and Yara Sofia. They would later be followed by Trinity The Tuck and Jimbo.
  • Shea is the only queen to be up for elimination on a season more times than times she won a challenge, and go on to win the season.
  • Shea started the rumor about Meghan Trainor stealing a sandwich from one of the Season 9 queens.[12]
  • Shea appeared as a guest judge in Episode 3 of Canada Season 5, judging the Lip-Sync Slayoffs.
  • In 2025, Shea starred in the Disney+ Series 'Ironheart' for Marvel Television, where she portrayed the character Slug, and ex-drag queen turned hacker.[13] [14]

Gallery[]

RuPaul's Drag Race Season 9[]

RuPaul's Drag Race Season 9 Looks[]

RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 5[]

RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 5 Looks[]

RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 6[]

RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 6 Looks[]

RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 7 Looks[]

RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 7 Looks[]

Canada's Drag Race Season 5[]

Canada's Drag Race Season 5 Looks[]

Videos[]

RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 5[]

RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 7[]

The Pit Stop[]

Discography[]

EPs[]

  • Couleé-D (Tracklist: 1. "Ride"; 2. "Cocky" with Lila Star & The Vixen; 3. "Feeling So"). (2017)

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Non-Album Singles[]

  • "Crème Brûlée". (2018)
  • "Gasoline". (2018)
  • "Brand New". (2019)
  • "Rewind" with GESS. (2019)
  • "Collide" with GESS and Mykki Blanco (2020)

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Appearances[]

  • "Category Is... (Season 9 Remix)" by RuPaul with The Cast of RuPaul's Drag Race, Season 9. (2017)
  • "R U Mad (John 'J-C' Carr & Bill Colemax Mix)" by Michael Blume with Peppermint. (2018)
  • "Symphony" by GESS. (2018)
  • "Snooze" by Big Dipper. (2018)
  • "Room, Pt. 2" (2018) by The Vixen. (2018)
  • "Breakfast at Tiffany's" by Aja. (2019)
  • "Double Filter Face" by Shawn Hollenbach. (2019)
  • "I'm In Love" by The Cast of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, Season 5 (2020)
  • "Clap Back" by RuPaul with The Cast of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, Season 5 (2020)
  • "bad juju" by Jujubee. (2021)

Filmography[]

Movies / Documentaries[]

  • Lipstick City, as "Mrs. Couleé/Shea". (2016)

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TV[]

  • You're So Talented, in Seasons 1 and 2 as herself. (2015-2016)
  • RuPaul's Drag Race, in Season 9 as contestant. (2017)
  • Breakfeast Television Toronto, as herself. (2017)
  • WGN-TV, as guest. (2017)
  • Hey Qween, as herself. (2017)
  • Windy City Life, as herself. (2018)
  • RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, in Season 5 as contestant. (2020)
  • Watch What Happen Live with Andy Cohen, as herself. (2021)
  • RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, in Season 7 as contestant. (2022)
  • Ironheart, as Slug. (2025)

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Web Series[]

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Music Videos[]

  • Too Funky by Peppermint. (2017)
  • "Ride". (2017)
  • "Cocky". (2017)
  • "Feeling So". (2017)
  • "Crème Brûlée". (2018)
  • "Sally Walker" by Iggy Azalea, as a traffic collision driver. (2019)
  • "Rewind". (2019)
  • "Bubblegum Brain" by Ellise. (2021)

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Advertising Capaigns[]

  • Merry DRAGmas by Lush, as herself. (2018)

Theatre[]

Tour[]

Co-Headlining[]

External Links[]

References[]

  1. ↑ RuPaul's Drag Race Moments of Black Excellence | VH1 | YouTube — February 19, 2021
  2. ↑ X
  3. ↑ X
  4. ↑ Shea Couleé interview
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 YouTube
  6. ↑ The Kelly Clarkson Show - YouTube
  7. ↑ Advocate.com
  8. ↑ Shea Couleé’s drag daughters appear to disown star, dropping surname | PinkNews — September 4, 2025
  9. ↑ Reddit
  10. ↑ Shea Couleé's Tweet
  11. ↑ Yvie Oddly Reply to Shea Couleé
  12. ↑ Shea Couleé apologizes to Meghan Trainor for making up stolen sandwich story on RuPaul's Drag Race | EW — August 23, 2023
  13. ↑ ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’s Shea Couleé Joins Marvel Studios’ ‘Ironheart’ Series | Deadline — August 3, 2022
  14. ↑ Drag Race's Shea Couleé reveals intel on Ironheart character's secret past: 'Fierce hacker' bringing drag to MCU | Entertainment Weekly — June 16, 2025
  15. ↑ RuPaul's Drag Race winners reunite in EW's stunning All Stars 7 portraits | Entertainment Weekly — April 26, 2022

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