Chi Chi DeVayne

Zavion Michael Davenport (September 24, 1985 – August 20, 2020), better known by the stage name Chi Chi DeVayne, was an American drag queen and reality television personality who came to international attention on the eighth season of RuPaul's Drag Race and on the third season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars. DeVayne began her drag career in her native Shreveport, Louisiana, where she was known locally prior to her 2016 debut on Drag Race. Following her time on the show, DeVayne embarked on a number of domestic and international tours, and she was featured on several web series about drag.

Davenport was diagnosed with scleroderma in 2018 and, two years later, he died following a bout of pneumonia he contracted after a hospital stay for scleroderma-related kidney failure.

Early life and career

Zavion Michael Davenport was born on September 24, 1985, in Shreveport, Louisiana, to Alberteen Wyandon and Zan Davenport III. He had a sister, Brittany; a brother, DaRico Wyandon; and two half-brothers, Zachary and Zamien Willis. He described parts of his upbringing as rough: he carried a gun, got into trouble, and joined gangs. In an interview on RuPaul's Drag Race, he said, "Girl, I've seen people shot. I've smelled, like, the smell of brains. When I tell you I come from the streets, I'm not kidding."

Drag DeVayne's first name, Chi Chi, was inspired by the character Chi-Chi Rodriguez from To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar, and the surname DeVayne came from the DeVayne drag family of Shreveport. Her drag mothers were Kourtni DeVayne and Lady Phat Kat. DeVayne enjoyed using different shades of purple makeup. In her early days as a drag entertainer, she was a regular performer at the Central Station nightclub in Shreveport, where she became known for her backflips.

DeVayne competed on the eighth season of RuPaul's Drag Race, which began airing on March 7, 2016. HuffPosts James Michael Nichols said she "was the dark horse [of the] season, walking through the doors in the first episode in a dress literally made out of garbage bags". The BBC called her lip sync to "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going", through which she eliminated fellow contestant Thorgy Thor, "iconic in Drag Race history".

DeVayne was interviewed on RuPaul's podcast RuPaul: What's the Tee? in 2016. The next year, she toured with A Drag Queen Christmas, and she was subsequently a cast member of several international live shows featuring Drag Race contestants. DeVayne then appeared on the third season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, which premiered on January 25, 2018. She was eliminated in the fourth episode, originally placing seventh, but she ultimately finished eighth after Morgan McMichaels returned to the competition. DeVayne credited her experience on Drag Race with helping her heal from some of the difficulties of her past.

In 2018, he was diagnosed with scleroderma, an autoimmune condition. He reported that the disease had caused him to lose weight and had reduced his capacity to dance in early 2020. This prompted fans and fellow Drag Race contestants to initiate fundraising efforts for his medical bills. Four weeks later, Davenport was readmitted to the hospital with pneumonia. During that time, he made his final social media post, a video asking fans to keep him in their prayers and promising to "be back soon". He died on August 20, 2020, at the age of 34.

Celebrities including Padma Lakshmi, Cheryl Hole, Kennedy Davenport, Monét X Change, Nina Bo'nina Brown, Ongina, Pandora Boxx, In 2022, director Stephen Dunn announced that DeVayne was meant to play the character Bussy on Queer as Folk, but she was replaced by Armand Fields after she died. Dunn stated that he set the series in New Orleans due to his longtime friendship with DeVayne.

Discography Title Year Album "Sitting on a Secret" (RuPaul feat. Aja, Chi Chi DeVayne, Milk, Morgan McMichaels & Thorgy Thor) 2018 "GFY"(Randy Boo feat. Chi Chi DeVayne)2020

Filmography

Television Year Title Role Notes 2016 RuPaul's Drag Race (season 8) HerselfContestant (fourth place)

Web series

Music videos Year Title Artist Notes 2020"GFY"Randy Boo feat. Chi Chi DeVayne "The Realness (Chi Chi DeVayne Edit)"RuPaul Posthumous release 2021 "Gummy Bear" Ginger Minj Posthumous release

Theatre Year Production Role Venue 2019 Women Behind Bars Jo-Jo The Montalbán