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The drag artist known as The Vivienne died from misadventure after suffering cardio-respiratory arrest after taking ketamine, a coroner has ruled.
James Lee Williams, 32, was found in the bath by a neighbour at their home in Chorlton-by-Backford, Cheshire, on Sunday 5 January. The last time anyone had contact with them was two days earlier, a court was told, when a friend said it was evident the entertainer had taken ketamine.
Five drug snap bags were found in The Vivienne’s property, including in a bedroom drawer and a bin in the bathroom, an inquest at Warrington coroner’s court heard on Monday.
Although the performer had struggled with drugs in the past, Williams’s family told the hearing they should not be remembered for their use of ketamine and that drugs did not define the person they were.
Friends and family had no worries about Williams’s mental health, the hearing was told, and the performer was looking forward to future roles on TV and in the theatre, although did “occasionally” take ketamine.
Jacqueline Devonish, the senior coroner for Cheshire, concluding the inquest, said: “The medical cause of death is cardio-respiratory arrest due to ketamine use. The conclusion, on the balance of probabilities, is that I’m satisfied that James Williams’s death was a misadventure, he took ketamine but he did not intend to take his own life.”
A report from a toxicologist, Dr Kerry Taylor, said tests showed a relatively high level of ketamine, but not at a level normally causing death. However, the drug can cause drowsiness, seizures and heart stimulation, and the concentration may have dissipated over time.
Williams was the winner of the first series of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK and years later spoke about having been a drug addict. In April, their sister, Chanel Williams, questioned whether the “stigma” surrounding drug use had prevented them from seeking help.
She told the BBC Two current affairs programme Newsnight that The Vivienne did not discuss their relapse, including a hospital stay, to “protect” their family, after a “really long period of sobriety”.
“It’s hard for me because I think, if that stigma wasn’t there, would my brother have sought the help he needed?” she said. “To think that, if we’d known, or if he’d have felt able to talk and really reach out for the help that was needed, the outcome could’ve been different. That’s why we’ve shared James’s story.”
Williams’s family have said they would work with the drug charity Adferiad on future campaigns. Their sister has called for ketamine to become a class A drug rather than class B, because people “think it’s less harmful than other drugs”.
The government is seeking expert advice as the illegal use of ketamine has surged to record levels.
