Jiggly Caliente: Filipino-American star of RuPaul's Drag Race passes at 44

Jiggly Caliente passes at 44

Jiggly Caliente passes at 44, Who was Jiggly Caliente?, Early life, Beginnings as a drag queen, Joining Rupaul’s drag race, Returning for All-stars, Famous lines, Becoming a Drag Race judge in the Philippines, Leg surgery

Fans of Rupaul’s Drag Race have lost yet another star in 2025. Jiggly Caliente, one of the most memorable drag queens of the franchise, passed at 44 on 27 April, 2025, due to medical issues resulting from an amputation operation performed days before. This is her story.

Who was Jiggly Caliente?

Jiggly Caliente passes at 44, Who was Jiggly Caliente?, Early life, Beginnings as a drag queen, Joining Rupaul’s drag race, Returning for All-stars, Famous lines, Becoming a Drag Race judge in the Philippines, Leg surgery

Jiggly Caliente, also known as Bianca Castro, was a transgender woman and drag queen who first rose to fame in her appearance in season 4 of the Rupaul’s Drag Race franchise in 2012.

Early life

Jiggly Caliente passes at 44, Who was Jiggly Caliente?, Early life, Beginnings as a drag queen, Joining Rupaul’s drag race, Returning for All-stars, Famous lines, Becoming a Drag Race judge in the Philippines, Leg surgery

Born on November 29, 1980, in San Pedro, Laguna, in the Philippines, Jiggly Caliente moved to the United States when she was 10 and lived most of her life in New York, reports The Independent.

Beginnings as a drag queen

Jiggly Caliente passes at 44, Who was Jiggly Caliente?, Early life, Beginnings as a drag queen, Joining Rupaul’s drag race, Returning for All-stars, Famous lines, Becoming a Drag Race judge in the Philippines, Leg surgery

According to MEGA Magazine, Jiggly Caliente started her journey into becoming a drag queen twenty-one years ago when she was first exposed to drag through a friend who was participating in a drag queen competition. Her journey to become one of the world's most iconic drag queens began when she received an invitation to participate in the next round.

Joining Rupaul’s drag race

Jiggly Caliente passes at 44, Who was Jiggly Caliente?, Early life, Beginnings as a drag queen, Joining Rupaul’s drag race, Returning for All-stars, Famous lines, Becoming a Drag Race judge in the Philippines, Leg surgery

It was in 2011 when she was announced as a contestant in Season 4 of Rupaul's Drag Race, and she quickly became one of the season's most popular queens due to her humorous interactions with her fellow competitors and memorable looks on the show.

Returning for All-stars

Jiggly Caliente passes at 44, Who was Jiggly Caliente?, Early life, Beginnings as a drag queen, Joining Rupaul’s drag race, Returning for All-stars, Famous lines, Becoming a Drag Race judge in the Philippines, Leg surgery

After her appearance on Season 4, Jiggly Caliente became one of the drag scene’s favorite queens. She went on to make appearance after appearance in several Drag Race-related events. This included her return to Drag Race All Stars 6 in 2020, where she eventually placed 12th.

Famous lines

Jiggly Caliente passes at 44, Who was Jiggly Caliente?, Early life, Beginnings as a drag queen, Joining Rupaul’s drag race, Returning for All-stars, Famous lines, Becoming a Drag Race judge in the Philippines, Leg surgery

Some of Jiggly Caliente’s most famous and memorable lines in the Rupaul’s Drag Race franchise include: "Willam, honey, your face is made out of marble. Sh** don't move!"; and "Deuces!".

Becoming a Drag Race judge in the Philippines

Jiggly Caliente passes at 44, Who was Jiggly Caliente?, Early life, Beginnings as a drag queen, Joining Rupaul’s drag race, Returning for All-stars, Famous lines, Becoming a Drag Race judge in the Philippines, Leg surgery

In 2022, Jiggly Caliente moved up in the Drag Race world by becoming a judge in the Filipino spin-off of Rupaul's Drag Race, reports Metro.

Leg surgery

Jiggly Caliente passes at 44, Who was Jiggly Caliente?, Early life, Beginnings as a drag queen, Joining Rupaul’s drag race, Returning for All-stars, Famous lines, Becoming a Drag Race judge in the Philippines, Leg surgery

She worked on 'Drag Race Philippines' from seasons 1 to 3 but had to take an extensive break the media due to an operation for a a severe leg infection. The surgery was reported on April 24, 2025, on Jiggly Caliente's own Instagram page. Many fans wished her the best for her recovery.

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