Arrietty, a contestant on RuPaul’s Drag Race season 17, is standing firm in her decision to steal jokes from her castmate Jewels Sparkles during a roast challenge, despite the controversy surrounding the move.
In the March 7 episode of the MTV reality series, Arrietty felt betrayed when Jewels performed immediately after her in the Villains Roast. Having expressed a lack of confidence going into the challenge, Arrietty believed Jewels chose this spot to overshadow her and improve her own performance. Seeking revenge, Arrietty took several of Jewels’ jokes for her own set.
In an interview with Parade on March 8, Arrietty defended her actions. “Taking Jewels’ jokes, I stand by,” she said.
When asked if she and Jewels discussed the joke theft after filming wrapped, Arrietty responded, “Yes and no. We knew what we went in there for. We knew what we were doing when it came to the show, and we knew that it’s a game. So, it’s not surprising. We’re good.”
Arrietty also explained her reasoning for stealing the jokes in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, stating that it was a matter of “balance.” She added, “If someone gets me, I have to get them back. I’m gunning to get them back.”
Jewels, however, did not call out Arrietty for the move on the show, even when both contestants ended up in the bottom two for their underwhelming roast performances. The two then faced off in a lip-sync battle to Beyoncé’s “Ya Ya,” where both put on intense performances. In the end, RuPaul eliminated Arrietty from the competition. It was only after the elimination that Jewels revealed to her castmates that Arrietty had sabotaged her roast routine.
“It wasn’t until a van ride that night she told me what happened,” season 17 contestant Suzie Toot told Entertainment Weekly in an interview on March 8. “Jewels said, ‘I’m going to hold this in. I’m not going to say it unless Arrietty says it, because if she goes home tonight, I don’t want this to be part of her narrative.’”
Despite the tension, Jewels chose to show grace toward Arrietty, but some fans of the show have expressed their outrage over the incident. One fan wrote on Instagram, “Rotted. This is the worst, most malicious action in Drag Race history.” Another added, “This felt like it should be considered grounds for disqualification. Sure, we all live for shady queens and gamers with strategy, but having them share jokes in a group setting and then someone stealing said jokes is actually cheating.”
On a Reddit thread discussing the situation, a fan remarked, “I seriously am not sure we’ve ever seen anything this egregious on Drag Race before … ever.”
