Crystal Methyd is officially in the Drag Race Hall of Fame.
After winning RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars Season 11, the Season 12 finalist reflected on why this was the right time to return, navigating the social game, the shocking moment Silky Nutmeg Ganache gave her point to April Carrión, what she was most excited to showcase and whether she’d compete on an all winners season.
In a post-finale interview with BLKCinema.com, Crystal also opened up about her evolving relationship with RuPaul and finally feeling comfortable enough to trade jokes with the host.
Crystal Methyd says she waited until the timing felt right to return
Crystal said she intentionally waited several years after Season 12 before returning to the competition.
“Yeah, it was like for Season 12, I’d been doing drag for about five or six years,” she said. And so, then it had been five or six years since my season. So I’ve got a decade of drag now, and I think that’s why it felt time. I wanted to make sure that I had the chance to go everywhere, do everything, movies, magazines, all of it. And then it was like, at that point, I was like, ‘I have so many nice things in my closet. We need to get some of these on TV.’ So I was a little nervous about returning because when you do well on your original season, there’s definitely high expectations for your return. You want to be able to meet those.”
By the time All Stars came around, Crystal said she had also watched close friends make their own returns.
She added, “I had let my friends go, Jimbo, Heidi [N Closet], Daya [Betty]. So it was just my turn.”
Crystal Methyd embraced the social game without relying on alliances
Unlike some contestants, Crystal never appeared interested in forming strategic alliances. Instead, she focused on her genuine relationships.
“Well, I think even though I didn’t know how the social game was, I feel like there is always a social game in All Stars,” she explained. “And for me, I felt like I’ve met so many of the girls that I’m going to have some relationships off the bat. And then I just tried to expand on those. I feel like if you’re friends with someone, they’re more likely to give you points, and I just really wanted to get to know everyone, be friends with everyone. And just if it was going to happen, they gave it to me. I didn’t want to beg for it.”
On being shocked when Silky gave her point to April
Crystal admitted she was completely caught off guard when Silky Nutmeg Ganache gave her point to April Carrión instead of her at the end of Bracket 2/the Pink Bracket.
“Well, I was gagged, my God,” she said. “I think I kept my face together in that moment, because I didn’t really think about anyone else’s point. Silky said she had me, I needed one point, and I was like, ‘Oh, my work here is done. I’m going to chill and hang out with my daddy. So yeah, I really am just so grateful for April, because I would not be where I am today without her. I’m so glad that she wanted me to advance.”
She wants fans to see the full Untucked from Bracket 2
Crystal said one of her favorite memories from the season was the unforgettable Untucked episode following Bracket 2.
“I was loving it, you guys,” she said. “I wish they would release all the unaired footage. It was just so much happening because it’s like the episode had aired. It wasn’t just Salina’s dreams crushed. Every other girl who didn’t make it got upset, too. On top of that, all of our daddies are in full drag in the back witnessing the whole thing. It was just so much happening that I’ll never forget it. It was so funny. I mean, Salina’s fine now, but at the time, it was like … whew.”
She was excited to showcase how much she’d grown as a performer
One of Crystal’s biggest goals this season was showing how much she has developed as a live performer since Season 12.
She said, “I mean, I think that my ability as a performer has grown so much because of all the productions I’ve gotten to do. I’ve got to work with choreographers and dancers. So anytime that we get to show that off on the show, I’m so excited. Creating a production is one of my favorite things. Working with Jamal [Sims], he is so amazing, too, because he can gauge where your skill level is, and he’s going to get you there. He’s going to get you to know the choreography. So I was just so excited to show all my growth as a performer.”
Crystal says she’d happily compete on an all winners season
Winning All Stars hasn’t changed Crystal’s desire to return if another opportunity comes along.
“Anytime I get to be in Ru’s presence, I want to take the opportunity,” she said.
As for who she’d want to compete against, Crystal already has a dream cast in mind.
She explained, “As far as who else I’d love to compete alongside, it’s like Jimbo, Kylie Sonique Love, Sasha Colby, Alyssa Edwards. Those are just a few that come to my mind. It’s crazy to me that I’ve become friends with so many of the other winners. So it was like, ‘I want to be like them. When I went to the competition, I was like, ‘I got to bring it home. All my friends have crowns. I want to match.’”
She says she finally felt comfortable joking with RuPaul
She also reflected on how different her relationship with RuPaul felt compared with Season 12, when she was simply overwhelmed to be around the host.
“I think I just felt safer in my interactions,” she said. “I think the first time I really was so starstruck anytime Ru was around that it was like I didn’t realize that she did like me, was wanting to make a connection with me. I was just so nervous and petrified the whole time that I was nervous laughing and that was it.”
This season, she said, she finally felt comfortable enough to match RuPaul’s energy.
“So this time, I was just excited to be in the headspace to where I could actually banter with Ru, because she is funny,” she added. “She wants to laugh. She wants to volley. She’s going to throw jokes. She wants you to hit them back to her. And that’s what I love about her so much.”
Featured image photo credit: Paramount+
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