“Never give up”
Chi Chi's final words to family and friends
(CMR) Performer and RuPaul's Drag Race alumni Chi Chi DeVayne (Zavion Davenport) passed, age 34, on Thursday after being hospitalized with pneumonia in Shreveport, Louisiana. Chi Chi was a headliner at last year's Cayman's Aids Foundation (CAF) fundraiser event Dinner Drinks and Drag in November 2019.
News of the drag queen's passing came Thursday, less than a week after DeVayne informed her Instagram followers that she was back in the hospital.
DeVayne's family's made an official statement on the star's Instagram page sharing:
‘On behalf of the Davenport/Wyandon family, it is with tremendous sorrow that my family and I announce the passing of my beloved son Zavion Michael Davenport, the world-renowned “Chi Chi DeVayne,”
DeVayne, who was born Zavion Davenport, appeared on two series of the hit reality show, in 2016 and 2018. Having been hospitalized earlier this year for suspected kidney failure and high blood pressure, DeVayne was readmitted with pneumonia. In a video message last week, DeVayne had asked fans to “keep me in your prayers, I’ll be back soon”.
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During his performance at the Grand Cayman Marriott Beach Resort on November 30, he confirmed that he had been diagnosed with scleroderma, a chronic incurable illness that causes the skin to tighten and thick scar tissues to form around internal organs, thereby impairing their ability to function.
The Louisiana-born performer joined Cayman Marl Road for a one on one interview on THE COLD HARD TRUTH on December 4, 2019.
CHI CHI PERFORMS AT CAYMAN MARRIOT
RuPaul paid tribute to DeVayne, saying that he was “heartbroken” to learn of her death.
“I am so grateful that we got to experience her kind and beautiful soul,” he said in a statement, posted on the show's Twitter account. “She will be dearly missed but never forgotten. May her generous and loving spirit shine down on us all.”
Former contestants and fans of the show also paid tribute to DeVayne.
Cayman Aids Foundation, Director Noel Cayasso also expressed his condolences and sadness at the news late on Thursday evening.
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