While we might be saddened that another season of Boulet Brothers’ Dragula: Titans has come and gone, it isn’t time to move on just yet. I was lucky enough to sit down with this year’s winner, Evah Destruction, to talk about her victory and what it means to her. And what does this year’s Queen of the Underworld want the fans to know? Always lead with kindness.
Q&A With Evah Destruction
Luna Gray: Hi Evah, congratulations on your recent win on The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula: Titans Season 2! It’s been incredible to watch your journey. I mean, your drag has always been on point, but there’s been a bit of an issue in the past with confidence and getting caught up in all the drama. How did you avoid that this season? It was like episode one, you were locked in.
Evah Destruction: Thank you! Well, this time around, I came in more selfishly, to be honest. I just remember telling myself, “You are competing for you this time.” There was no worrying about other things, getting caught up in drama, or worrying about anybody else. It was about me. I needed to take everything I’ve unpacked about myself, everything I’ve acknowledged over time with my character and personality – things like my neurodivergence, my autism – and harness it to build up my confidence. I knew what package I was coming into this competition with, and I wanted to be confident and show that, and also let the drag speak for itself.
Also, I tried not to go against the grain as far as the production side of things. This is all a collaboration when we step onto that set. I wanted to focus on the prize ahead of me and just zero in. This cast did not make it easy to do that! There were distractions, drama, and chaos. But through it all, I gave at least the bare minimum of what I allowed myself to give, so that way I could still wake up the next day and say, “Okay, there’s another challenge, let’s do this, I’m ready.”
Luna Gray: Absolutely. You would engage in the drama enough to make yourself a good TV personality, while still mainly focusing on your drag. I think that’s such an amazing thing to do—to compartmentalize. Like, okay, I’m gonna give them a little bit of attention, but mainly focus on me.
Evah Destruction: I think it’s because, too, like, during Season 3, I was completely unmedicated. So my ADHD heavily affected the way that I interacted with everybody. Normally, when I’m around people that I’m not really familiar with, I recluse and I have a hard time connecting with people. Like, if I know somebody in the room, I am literally going to baby duck the hell out of the situation and cling to their side the whole time. I usually stay with what’s comfortable and what feels safe naturally.
Then Titans Season 1, I knew more people. I worked with all these artists, and it was easier to open up, which is why you saw me talk more. But now, this time around, I had an easier time of it, where I could be open enough. I felt safe enough to show more of this personality and more of who I am. I think I was just so focused on, “There will be time for that later, but right now this competition is so much harder than it was on Season 1 of Titans, you need to focus on getting through this first, and then we can enjoy the extras later.”
Luna Gray: Honestly, that’s fair. You can tell as a viewer, specifically with Titans, that one person is always a head above the rest. I think it was by episode two, my entire watch party was like, “Oh, so Eva’s gonna win.” There was just an air about you. Now, you did stay away from most of the drama, but you couldn’t really stay out of it with Sigourney. I don’t know if that was possible. What does the future hold for you guys?
Evah Destruction: With Sigourney, I always view myself as the person that gives people the benefit of the doubt. I always see the best in people until proven otherwise. And with Sigourney, I think it’s really unique because we acknowledged what it was. We were like, “Okay, so this is how you want to play it.” And I think we stepped in ready to just have fun and poke at each other and stuff like that. It was nice to have somewhat of a rival in some way.
I will say that, at the end of the day, that was not an easy decision to make because I was truly enjoying myself by episode seven. That top six was a strong group that I did not see any issue with. When it came to the personal side, I ended up choosing Sigourney, and it was definitely one of those things where I was like, “Fuck, this is not gonna be great.” But I have to do this, because if I don’t, I will have the regret. That is where I will say to myself, “You should have been more convicted in your decision. You should have really stuck to your guns.” And that’s why I did what I did the way that I did it.
Because I’m always the person who says something and I’m like, “Oh, sorry, I didn’t mean like, I hope it didn’t come across that way, or that’s not what I meant,” you know? Because this whole brain thing is going on with me and the chemical imbalance that comes with trying not to say the wrong thing, because life has made me feel like you’re bothering people, you’re annoying people, you piss somebody off, you said the wrong thing, oh, you should have said it differently.
So with Sigourney, I’m always open to a conversation. I’m always open to a day when we can come together and be friends again. But right now, I think the wound of that is still very fresh, and I’m very much in the market of giving her—anyone, anyone in this situation—I’m all about giving space. I think people need the room and time to process their emotions and what they’re feeling and what they want to say when we do have that conversation, and I’m completely fine with that.
I did not go forward from this competition expecting us to never be friends. I meant what I said. We had very genuine, enjoyable moments together, and I wouldn’t be opposed to having more of those. Again, the ball is in her court, at least as far as the permission and the consent to have those conversations.
So I’m always open to a future where Sigourney and I could come together and, I don’t know, have a duet where we’re, you know, Elphaba and Glinda in Wicked, and we’re doing “Loathing” and then going into “For Good,” or I don’t fucking know, just something cheesy and theater kid coded. I just see us making some really cute numbers together, or even having a show together where we just surprise everybody. I don’t know, who knows what the future will hold, but I’m open-minded, and I will continue to be so.
Luna Gray: That’s terrific. Based on her social media presence as of late, it seems that she acknowledges that she was acting a bit off there. On that note, with your teammates, were you aware that Jaharia was trying to play everyone on the field at once?
Evah Destruction: I was fully aware. It was funny because, as I said on the show, it was right after Jaharia’s win, and she was like, “I wanted to be in alliance with you.” And I was like, “Okay.” And that’s what I meant when I said, “I had already gotten to Jaharia before she went to JK.” JK was running her mouth to Jaharia, and then Jaharia immediately went to me. I thought it was so funny, so messy. I was like, “Okay, let’s play this little game of pretend where we’re having alliances and rivalries and stuff.”
I was like, “I see you, girl. I see the game you’re playing. You should be on Big Brother. You should be on Traitors. You should be on Survivor.” I would love to see a future where Jaharia takes this and really pushes for something more cutthroat and competitive. She’s very calculated and organized in the way that she does that. Maybe she could play a more underhanded or more secretive game somewhere along the road where she blindsides people, forms an alliance, and then turns on them, or something. I don’t know. I see it for her.
Luna Gray: What are your thoughts on the secret competition taking place with the people who have been knocked out?
Evah Destruction: Oh, I thought that was a stunt! I thought it was so gaggy. I was like, “All right, we’re changing up things. We’re bringing in newer elements to Dragula, to Titans, etc. We’re changing up the competition format.” I thought it was so genius, so gaggy. Plus, it is such a great way to make your elimination not entirely final just yet. That, to me, is how All-Star seasons should go.
“This is the perfect opportunity for you to still showcase what you brought or what you made for the competition. And you get to still plead your case on why you should be in the next episode, or why…” Like, it takes the cauldron and the fire and the soapboxing, everything, and it takes it and puts it on a stage where you get to show the next episode’s look. You still get to show your artistry, your creativity.
I hope to see more things like that in the future seasons, honestly. To be able to showcase everything and not feel that immediate burn of going home first, second, or third, I think it gives an excellent opportunity for those people to still have a little bit of hope.
Luna Gray: You’ve got the crown. You’ve got all the accolades. Everybody knows you’re top dog, as it should be. So what’s next for Evah Destruction? Like, girl, what are you doing?
Evah Destruction: Well, as soon as I saw my crowning, I immediately said, “Okay, tour!” It’s time to focus on tour. So there was something that I remember Bob the Drag Queen saying back in the day. She’s like, “The hardest part isn’t filming the show, it’s what comes afterwards.” And there’s a lot of truth to that. Because immediately, as soon as I saw that crown on my head, I said, “It’s time to get to fucking work. It’s time to carry this crown and represent the brands, but also come up with new shit. Come up with new creative looks, numbers, ways to brand myself, etcetera.”
I want to continue to push myself to just get even more polished and better with the way that I create and the way that I showcase myself. Theater is my safe space. It’s my happy place. And I’m looking forward to building up my resume, auditioning, and putting myself out there as an actor, too, whether that’s the stage or on film. I definitely really enjoy reality TV, but I also would love to try my hand at TV acting, film, or whatever. I’ve definitely got some stuff on my bucket list that I would love to check off. Now is the time to get my list in order and see where this journey takes me, honestly.
Luna Gray: If you didn’t win, who would you have picked out of that top four?
Evah Destruction: Abhora. Hands down. I love Abhora. There was a lot of feedback from the fandom. I’m on social media, and I peer around every episode to see what the response is. On episode seven, a lot of people had things to say about why I chose Sigourney and eliminated her, and everyone was in this survivor mindset where they were like, “You should have taken out Abhora, she was your biggest competitor.”
And I said, “Listen, I’ve watched this artist since she was on season two. I knew her before she went on Dragula. We were on cast together in Atlanta. I watched her move from Atlanta to achieve her goals with Dragula and to see her lose twice, and then, to have the opportunity to be in the finale, I was never going to be a part of her missing out on that experience again. I was never going to be a part of the reason why they wouldn’t make it further than where they made it on season two or Titans one, you know?”
I said this at my viewing party when we watched the crowning last night—I said, “Abhora is Dragula. Abhora is the most artistically talented person I know.” They have raised the bar for what I have come to expect from such raw artists like her. The way that they think and the way that they create and the way their mind works… It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen in my life. They always keep me guessing.
They’re practically the fucking Dragula mascot at this point. They are the show. They are what it represents. I would have gladly lost the crown to them, honestly, if the roles were reversed. I think I would have been at peace. I’ve had that conversation with myself where I was like, if this happens, if they take it, I will be fine with that for sure, because I love them so deeply and I respect them and I know that I’ll be okay. Abhora was absolutely my second pick.
Luna Gray: It seems like Abhora would be better as a one-person stage act than maybe a competition reality show because their ideas are just so big and amazing.
Evah Destruction: Exactly. They’re kind of like on the, they’re basically in the same realm of how I see Hollow, where they are art installation artists. They can build an entire room that is a sculpture, but it’s all them. People can just marvel at their talent and their shape, the texture, the color, the idea, the message, everything is intentional and referential. Abhora is that, and they are so incredible. It always blows my mind. I’m like, how do you even do this? Get out of my face.
Luna Gray: In my opinion, you are now the most inspirational story coming out of the Dragula fandom. Everything you’ve gone through and watching the growth from the outside looking in, it’s just so amazing, and all the mental health struggles that you’ve overcome to be where you are. With all that said, what are you saying to the new generation of drag stars out there? You now inspire people by the thousands, if not millions. What do you want to say to them?
Evah Destruction: I think I would say always take any bit of advice you’re getting from other entertainers, other friends, etcetera. Always take the advice with a grain of salt, because at the end of the day, you’re going to bed with you. You’re going on stage as you, yourself. You have to wake up the next day as you, so it’s all on you at the end of the day. Do not surround yourself with just yes people. Get surrounded by people that are not afraid to tell you no.
Also, when you have those days where you feel like you are in a creative stunt and you are not feeling inspired, you need to give and allow yourself the room to breathe and the room to have days where you don’t create, but you just unpack those feelings and those emotions, and you give yourself the space to feel. You know, take your time. Ultimately, I do believe in a slow burn. I believe that art should never be rushed. Believe in your drag and your character and stand by that and know that you can walk away proud from your performance or your feature or whatever you’re doing.
As an alternative subculture, like queer community, as much as we want to be rock hard edge goddesses and gods, pushing our message and spreading queerness and art and expression, and not giving a fuck about what anybody says. I think we also need to step forward as a community and as artists, and to anybody out there wanting to do this, to want to continue to do this, lead with fucking kindness, lead with kindness, because I promise you, it will get you so much further in life.
It will leave a better taste in everybody’s mouth. It will inspire others because the world is so cold out there. People want us harmed, silenced, and dead. It’s better to lead with our heads held high and being kind, being kind to the point where it’ll kill them. Kill them with kindness, and being respectful, being professional, being on time, turn your music in on time, bitch. Happy people do not spread the negativity that I’ve seen from the fandom this season. I encourage artists to turn around and be the bigger person and be the nice guy for once. Don’t feed into all the pettiness and the negativity and the quote unquote cringe culture. Bring back weird cringe culture.
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