Jade Sotomayor
Drag performer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
David Sotomayor Jr., known by his stage name Jade (born November 18, 1984),[1] is an American drag queen and television personality best known for competing on the first season of RuPaul's Drag Race.[2]
November 18, 1984[1]
Jade Sotomayor | |
|---|---|
| |
| Born | David Sotomayor Jr. November 18, 1984[1] |
| Occupation | Drag performer |
| Television | RuPaul's Drag Race (season 1) |
Early life
Sotomayor was raised in Chicago's Humboldt Park neighborhood.[2]
Career
When Sotomayor first started drag, his persona's name was Jennifer. A friend gave him that name due to his love for Jennifer Lopez. Sotomayor thought it was common, so he went with the name Jay. After a host mispronounced it as Jade, Sotomayor kept the name and decided to include his last name.[1]
In 2009, Jade competed on the first season of RuPaul's Drag Race at the age of 25.[3][4] She was eliminated on the fourth episode, after placing in the bottom two of the main challenge and losing a lip-sync contest against Rebecca Glasscock to "Would I Lie to You?" (1985) by Eurythmics. Jade placed sixth overall.[5][6][7] She and fellow contestant Tammie Brown would sneak out of the hotel room at times.[1] Jade was a presenter at Logo TV's Trailblazer Honors in 2016.[8][9] She appeared on the finale of Drag Race's tenth season.[5][10] In 2017, she performed in Queens United / Reinas Unidas, a show organized by Phi Phi O'Hara to help victims in Puerto Rico.[11] Jade has co-hosted shows at Hamburger Mary's in Andersonville, alongside Drag Race alumni DiDa Ritz and Monica Beverly Hillz.[2]
In 2020, Jade appeared in an episode of Empire and a year later, became a nurse during the COVID-19 pandemic.[12]
Sotomayor also appeared in the indie film Bailiwick.[5]
Personal life
Sotomayor is Latino and of Puerto Rican descent.[13][14] His cousin was killed in the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida.[15][16][17] Sotomayor was included in Windy City Times's "30 Under 30" list in 2009.[18] He lived in Jefferson Park, as of 2016.[19] "Trade Sotomayor" is a nickname.[20] He had approximately 53,000 followers on Instagram in 2022.[21]
Filmography
- Deadly Affairs (2013)
- College Debts (2015)
- Lipstick City (2016)
- Bailiwick (2017)
- This Wasn't Supposed to Happen (2019)
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | RuPaul's Drag Race | Herself | Contestant (6th place) |