Briar tells EW her Main Stage fainting spell led to sepsis and a hospital stay after filming wrapped — plus, she dishes on social media drama with season 12 star Jan.

*Drag Race *eliminated queen Briar Blush reveals shocking on-air collapse led to serious health diagnosis after show

Briar tells EW her Main Stage fainting spell led to sepsis and a hospital stay after filming wrapped — plus, she dishes on social media drama with season 12 star Jan.

Joey Nolfi is a senior writer at *. *Since 2016, his work at EW includes *RuPaul's Drag Race* video interviews, Oscars predictions, and more.

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January 24, 2026 12:00 p.m. ET

Briar Blush collapses on 'RuPaul's Drag Race' season 18. Credit:

- After fainting on the* Drag Race *Main Stage, Briar Blush tells EW about serious health complications after the show.

- Briar says in her exit interview that she was hospitalized with sepsis after the show.

- She also reveals where things stand with Athena Dion and Mia Starr after this season's drama.

Athena Dion's inner (and, let's be real, *outer*) saboteur has been exorcized from *RuPaul's Drag Race* season 18 — but, in signature Briar Blush fashion, the Boston-based drag queen went out like a firecracker.

During critiques, Briar went down for the count — passing out mid-judging while her sisters attempted to revive her, and the panelists called for medics. Though she ultimately sashayed away later in the episode, Briar has quite the tale to tell about her shocking on-set collapse, and she spills all on that (plus her three-year-long feud with fellow RuGirl, *All Stars 6* queen Jan) in her exit interview ahead.**

*RuPaul's Drag Race* season 18 continues Fridays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on MTV. Read on for EW's full interview with Briar.

Briar Blush faints on 'RuPaul's Drag Race' season 18.

**: Please define "squabble."**

**BRIAR BLUSH:** I meant to say squander, but I was a little dazed and confused. I clearly misspoke!

**You said it twice [*once in a confessional, once on stage*] , and I love that.**

I said, "I don’t want to squabble this opportunity," and RuPaul goes [*Briar puts her hand to her ear to simulate Ru talking into an earpiece*]* *"Lighting issue. Can you do that again, Briar?" I proceeded to not say it, because I realized it was wrong. There was no lighting issue. Ru looked out for me in that moment.

**The episode began with tension in the Werk Room. Mia Starr said that you "touched" Athena off camera. What happened?**

I don’t know! Me and Athena’s relationship off-camera is how it was on-camera. I can’t stress this enough, this was a fun, funny interaction. On the first day, she pantsed me. I asked her if it was okay to talk about this, and she said it was, as long as I specified it was in good fun. I have a back tattoo, and I lifted up my shirt to show her, because it extends down my back. She goes, "I want to see all of it," and pulled down my pants!

Juicy Love Dion and Discord Addams help Briar Blush on 'Drag Race' season 18.

**So, things are patched up?**

We laugh about it so much. We were cool the next day. We’re still fun and shady, but I meant what I said [in my Werk Room apology]. I care about [Athena and Mia].

**I was shocked when you fainted on the runway. Is this the first time you've fainted? What do you remember?**

Yes. I remember Michelle’s critiques. Halfway through Law’s critiques — Law shreds, I wasn’t perturbed, that’s what Law does — I remember getting warm in the head. I blinked, and thought Juicy Love Dion was just looking at me sideways. I didn’t realize I was on the ground. I was mad for a second. I looked around and saw queens on stools and Ru screaming for medics. I didn’t realize I’d fainted. It wasn’t like [*Drag Race Down Under* season 3's] Ivory Glaze being like,* Oh, I’m faint*.

**Are you alleging Ivory Glaze faked hers?**

[*Laughs*] I’m not alleging that! But, I *am* saying she was beautifully carried down. I fell like a sack of potatoes!

Briar Blush's 'RuPaul's Drag Race' season 18 promo look.

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**Could you hear your sisters saying *you* faked it on the Main Stage?**

I couldn’t. I was stressed and scared. I remember thinking, "What the f--- is going on?" I was confused, dazed, and so tired.

**Have you all spoken about it since?**

We’re all good about it now. Following the show, I went to the doctor. I was diagnosed with pneumonia. I was told I had walking pneumonia for weeks, which later turned into sepsis. The pneumonia happened during the show, sepsis happened after the show. I got very sick after filming. Athena told me I looked worse, so I went back to the doctor and ended up having sepsis.

**To clarify, you didn’t realize you had pneumonia during filming, sought treatment after filming, and it turned into sepsis?**

They treated me for the wrong kind of pneumonia. I wasn’t getting much better, and I think the first doctor I saw was kind of a quack. I went back to the doctor because I felt worse. It started feeling kind of grim. When I went back, it became more dire. I was in the hospital with sepsis.

Discord Addams names Briar Blush the villain of 'Drag Race' season 18.

**How long were you in the hospital?**

Not that long. Sepsis is easy to treat, but it was a two-to-three-day stay.

**I’m glad you’re okay. It’s ironic that you sent home the nurse among the cast last week.**

Nobody was there to help me. [*Laughs*] Since then, I damaged my left lung. When you’re sick that long, it can cause lasting damage to the lungs. My lung may or may not ever be the same as it was, but I’m in a much better place with my health.

**I’m happy about that. Later, you said online that you didn’t like lip-syncing against Mandy Mango in a bra and panties, and that, "We are lucky there was a bra to begin with. But that’s a story for another day." That day is here!**

You’re not allowed to change for the lip-syncs. You’re allowed to change shoes if they’re a safety hazard. I wore big platforms with my swan dress. I knew I couldn’t lip-sync in the dress, because it was heavy. To give myself the best outcome, I quickly grabbed a bra in my station while also grabbing shoes. I secretly put it on and wore it under my thing. If you watch back, I don’t have bra straps when I’m announced to lip-sync, and just before the lip-sync, I suddenly have bra straps.

**Lastly, amid your feud with Jan over a past video where you alleged that she was rude to you while collecting dollars at a show, she called you "sick in the head" in a live video. Have you spoken to her?**

I don’t feel like I have a feud with Jan! Maybe she has a feud with me. I’ve forgiven her sins. That’s a big reaction. The drama happened three years ago, in January 2023. I wish her the best because it affects her this much, so long later. I hope she garners the ability to laugh at stuff like this. I wish her well. I hope next time she’s more transparent about where she wants her tips.

** Squabbling the feud!**

She has me blocked on every platform, on social media I didn’t even know I had. I’m happy she’s getting mileage out of old drama. We’re talking about her now, so it worked out for her.

- RuPaul's Drag Race Fandom

Original Article on Source

Source: “EW RuPaul”