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Vanessa Vanjie

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Vanessa Vanjie Mateo, also known simply as Vanessa Vanjie during the ninth season of All Stars, is an American drag queen, performer and a contestant on Season 10 and Season 11 of RuPaul's Drag Race, where she placed 14th and 5th respectively.

Vanessa then appeared in RuPaul's Drag Race Vegas Revue where she was followed, alongside other Drag Race alumni, as she prepared to lead the "RuPaul's Drag Race Live!" show in Las Vegas.

Vanessa would later return to compete on the ninth season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars. She is representing ASPCA for a chance of $200,000 being donated to their cause. She finished as a Runner-Up alongside Roxxxy Andrews

Quick Answers

What is the significance of the name 'Vanessa Vanjie Mateo' in the drag community? toggle section
In the drag community, 'Vanessa Vanjie Mateo' signifies her drag lineage and persona. Her drag mother, Alexis Mateo, named her 'Vanessa' due to her resemblance to 'Ursula's' human form in Disney's 'The Little Mermaid'. 'Vanjie' is a modification of 'Banjee', reflecting her 'banjee attitude', while 'Mateo' denotes her membership in the 'Mateo Empire', Alexis Mateo's drag family.
Provided by: Fandom
How did Vanessa Vanjie Mateo perform in the 10th and 11th seasons of RuPaul's Drag Race? toggle section
Puerto Rican drag queen Vanessa Vanjie Mateo competed in the 10th and 11th seasons of RuPaul's Drag Race. She placed 14th in Season 10, being eliminated in the first episode by Kalorie Karbdashian-Williams. In Season 11, she improved, reaching the 12th episode before Brooke Lynn Hytes eliminated her, resulting in a 5th place finish. However, she did not secure any challenge wins in either season.
Provided by: Fandom
What role did Vanessa Vanjie play in RuPaul's Drag Race Vegas Revue? toggle section
Vanessa Vanjie Mateo, known as Vanessa Vanjie, was a prominent figure in RuPaul's Drag Race Vegas Revue. The show followed her and other Drag Race alumni as they prepared for the 'RuPaul's Drag Race Live!' show in Las Vegas. This was after her participation in earlier seasons of RuPaul's Drag Race and All Stars 5 as a Lip-Sync Assassin.
Provided by: Fandom
How has Vanessa Vanjie Mateo contributed to the 'RuPaul's Drag Race Live!' show in Las Vegas? toggle section
Vanessa Vanjie Mateo, popularly known as Vanjie, played a key role in the 'RuPaul's Drag Race Live!' show in Las Vegas. Following her participation in RuPaul's Drag Race Season 10 and 11, she was spotlighted in RuPaul's Drag Race Vegas Revue. This series documented Vanjie and other Drag Race veterans as they readied to headline the 'RuPaul's Drag Race Live!' show. Vanjie's distinctive charisma and talent were highlighted through her innovative performances before a live audience.
Provided by: Fandom

Name Origin[]

"Vanessa" was the name given by Vanjie's drag mother, Alexis Mateo, because Alexis thinks she looks like "Vanessa", the human form of "Ursula" from Disney's "The Little Mermaid" movie.

Because she has a "banjee attitude", Vanessa received "Banjee" as her middle name, but since Alexis couldn't pronounce it, this became "Vanjie". Also because of her drag mother, she got "Mateo" as her surname.

Drag Family[]

Vanessa is the drag daughter of Alexis Mateo and her husband Jeffrey Kelley. This makes Vanessa a member of the "Mateo Empire," alongside her drag sisters Jenavive and Victoria Mateo.

Track Records[]

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

Memorable Quotes[]

RuPaul's Drag Race Season 10[]

  • "10s. 10s. 10s. Across. The board!" (entrance quote)
  • "Like a hooker on Rodeo Drive: she's kinda Ghetto but still like, you know, eloquent." (referring to herself)
  • "I got the call, bitch, I got the call!"
  • "Get these cookies, baby!"
  • "Bitch. RuPaul walks into the werkroom. I was gagged. It's like seeing the Loch Ness Monster. You hear a lot about it, but you never see it. So when you see it, bitch, you done."
  • "Bitch, are we on big brother."
  • "I'm not Project Runway ready, but I got my patterns in my clutch so if you want me to make you a swimsuit, holla at ya girl."
  • "Stop the press! Xtina is in the building, baby!"
  • "Miss Vanjie. Miss Vanjie. Miss... Vanjie." (upon being eliminated on Season 10)
  • "What, bitch?" (to Kalorie Karbdashian during Season 10's reunion)
  • "I'm glad I have a catchphrase. Who are you again?" (to Kalorie Karbdashian during Season 10's reunion)

RuPaul's Drag Race Season 11[]

  • "Bitch, I'm back." (entrance quote)
  • "I was humilita-humililated... I was embarrassed."
  • "Get those cookies, get those cookies."
  • "The circus is in town, Mary!" (to Yvie Oddly, during her entrance)
  • "You gamble girl" (to Kahanna Montrese, during her entrance)
  • "Why's your earring coming off? You weren't doing the Electric Slide; you just did two steps, Mary..." (referring to Ra'Jah O'Hara's left earring coming off after hugging Silky Nutmeg Ganache when the former entered the Werk Room)
  • "Don’t tell me you're coming to fight!" (to Soju, during her entrance)
  • "Miss Scarlet is looking pressed like a panini."
  • "WORK BERTHA!"
  • "Baby im looking at this script, like its the DaVinci code or some shit"
  • "Kahanna's flipping and I'm ducking and diving. Bitch, don't hit me, whore!"
  • "BITCH, I'M NOT HIDING, HOE!" (during her fight on untucked against Yvie Oddly)
  • "Soficsta-, sofic-, solicam-, soficmicaleted."
  • "Thank you Miss Vanjie! I thank myself!" (on Episode 3's Diva Workship maxi challenge)
  • "Who dat? Oh, from Devil Wears Prada?"
  • "Who dat is?"
  • "Don't get the divorce papers," (to Brooke Lynn Hytes)
  • "Burn the wigs! Burn those fucking wigs!" (During an Untucked! fight about the wigs Ariel left in the Werk Room)
  • "Miss Vanjie Vanjie Vanjie, bitch! Drop it down low to the floor and spin! Fish Latina, really nice to meet ya, cause I save the room, they give me 10's, they see her. I whip my hair side to side. Category closed, bitch I'm fly. Slip 'n slide, thigh highs, blah ga ga ga ga ga, buh-bye." (verse in Queens Everywhere)
  • “Now, I'm gonna go ahead and get my little stance. Miss Vanessa Vanjie Mother-fucking Mateo, thank you. Love ya. *comes back on stage* I might come back, don’t turn off the spotlight yet! I might come back baby… I could come back again, be like HEEEY, I’m at the finale, too!! Y’all never know bitch, they might spin the wheel, land on me again bitch! AaaAAaAAAAAAaAaaAAAaaaaA! See ya later! Miss Vanjie!! DEUCES!!” *comes back on stage again* That's how you go viral, take note, hollah! Cut the check, bitch!" *from backstage* Miss Vaanjie." (exit quote)

RuPaul's Secret Celebrity Drag Race Season 1[]

  • "A ten, hut! Y'all bitches ready!?" (entrance quote)

RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 9[]

  • "Ooh, y'all bitches hiring?" (entrance quote)
  • "Uh huh, "Oh girl," uh huh."
  • "Come on Plastiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiique!" (referencing Plastique Tiara's entrance quote)
  • "Come on Medusa!" (to Shannel, during her entrance)
  • "Pamper pussy!"
  • "Yall can cut when Ru was laughing at the other ones, add that into mine."
  • "CUT THE CAMERA! CUT THE CAMERA!" (after being read by Roxxxy)
  • "Da da da Just like that, living my best life just being fab. I'm a drag queen with a gangsta lean. Spreading all the love and positivity. Don't get it confused, I was just like you. Then I found my cape, and I thank you Ru! Now I'm dancing, prancing, save the world in fashion. A hero drag queen, let's ride for action!" (verse in Drag Queens Save the World)
  • "Whats popping RuPaul?" (as Cleopatra in the Snatch Game of Love)
  • "I'm on my pyramid." (as Cleopatra in the Snatch Game of Love)
  • "My name's Cleopatra, I'm the one and only queen. If you pick me, you could get up in this coochie." (as Cleopatra in the Snatch Game of Love)
  • "Oh it's Raven!" (as Cleopatra in the Snatch Game of Love)
  • "Everybody's a lil sad. Its the last time we get to walk into the werkroom and get ready and you know hear Roxxxy's voice......"
  • "FOR CHARITY!"
  • "Bruno.....i aint got no badges but I got assss!...For charity"
  • "You know this is not my passion, I do drag, but this not my passion. Christmas is my passion!" (Impersonating Shannel)
  • "THIS FINAL IS FOR YOU MICHELLE!" (In her talent number)

Farewell Message[]

Season 10[]

"Ladies I ♡ U The Vanjie way! xoxo Vanessa ♡!"

Season 11[]

"Bitches! I ♡ you all! Not just The Vanjie way! But the Vanessa Vanjie Mateo way! xoxo "Suck it" $ Cut the check!"

Trivia[]

  • Vanjie is a Christina Aguilera fan.[3]
  • According to her Season 10 castmates, Vanjie said "Miss Vanjie" exiting the stage more times than what was shown in the edit. This is seen in the beginning of the second episode.
  • RuPaul wore a "Vanjie" necklace at the Time 100 Gala in 2018.[4]
  • A leaked photo of her in RuPaul's Drag Race Untucked confirmed her competing on Season 11.
  • Vanjie is the drag daughter of Alexis Mateo.[5]
  • Vanjie is the only queen to be eliminated on a Rumix challenge.
  • Vanjie and Brooke Lynn Hytes are the first ever contestants to have an on-screen romance, or "showmance", in the franchise. The pair were nicknamed "Branjie" by the other Season 11 contestants.
    • Brooke revealed at the reunion that they dated for four months after the show, but broke up due to their conflicting schedules. However, they still remain friends.
  • On January 5, 2021, Vanjie was seen in Puerto Vallarta dancing amongst an unmasked crowd during the COVID-19 pandemic with Silky Nutmeg Ganache which was heavily criticized on social media by fans and former Drag Race contestants, most notably Farrah Moan.[6]
  • Vanjie holds the biggest jump in placement by any returning contestant, jumping nine spots from 14th on Season 10 to 5th on Season 11.
  • Vanjie was a guest judge on the third episode of Canada's Drag Race Season 3.
  • Vanjie was added to the Season Pass of RuPaul's Drag Race Superstar in January 2022, alongside the tag "Street".
  • Vanjie dropped the "Mateo" from her name on All Stars for branding purposes.[7]
  • Vanjie is the fourth porkchop queen to return to a regular All Stars season, after Shangela, Naysha Lopez & Jaymes Mansfield.
  • Vanjie is the second queen in the Mateo drag family to lip sync to a song by the Pussycat Dolls, after her drag mother, Alexis Mateo.
    • Vanjie lip-synced to 'When I Grow Up', whilst Alexis lip-synced to 'Don't Cha'.
    • However, Vanjie won her lipsync to her song against Plastique Tiara, whilst Alexis, alongside with Yara Sofia, lost their lipsync to Raven.
  • Vanjie, together with Angeria Paris VanMicheals, is the second queen in the Drag Race Franchise to win a maxi challenge in the finale episode after Alvilda in Drag Race Belgique Season 2.
  • Vanjie was the last queen in a row to compete in back-to-back seasons after:

Gallery[]

RuPaul's Drag Race Season 10[]

RuPaul's Drag Race Season 10 Looks[]

RuPaul's Drag Race Season 11[]

RuPaul's Drag Race Season 11 Looks[]

RuPaul's Drag Race Vegas Revue[]

RuPaul's Drag Race Vegas Revue Looks[]

RuPaul's Secret Celebrity Drag Race Season 1[]

RuPaul's Secret Celebrity Drag Race Season 1 Looks[]

RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 5[]

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

Werq The World Live[]

RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 9[]

RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 9 Looks[]

Videos[]

Lip Sync Battles[]

Discography[]

Singles[]

  • "I'm Vanjie" (2018)

External Links[]

References[]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Vanjie… Miss Vanjie 💅 Portrait of a Queen | YouTube — November 23, 2024
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 [Vanjie: 24 Hours of Love]
  3. ↑ RuPaul's Drag Race eliminee spills tea on Monét's sponge eleganza: 'The b— didn't finish her dress!' | Entertainment Weekly — 3, 2018
  4. ↑ {{{title}}} | Reddit — 4, 2018
  5. ↑ BESTIES FOR CASH - Alexis Mateo and Vanessa Vanjie Mateo | YouTube — January 7, 2020
  6. ↑ X
  7. ↑ VanjieNameChangeSource.jpg | RuPaul's Drag Race Fandom Wiki — May 20, 2024
  8. ↑ Entertainment Weekly

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