Direct from the Drag Race legacy Montrese family, Kahanna Montrese returned to RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 8 with a stunning glow up. On & off stage, Montrese has evolved and brought every facet of that evolution to the Drag Race main stage. While Montrese has departed the competition, she had plenty to share about her All Stars experience. We sat down for an extended chat following her elimination and discussed her return to the werkroom, her interactions with her Drag Race sisters, and what it’s been like being a newly minted Las Vegas showgirl!
Michael Cook: It was a true moment for you to return to our television screens this season for RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 8. It was a wonderful welcome back and the glow up is truly real!
Kahanna Montrese: Thank you so much, that means so much to me!
MC: You’ve been killing it on the Las Vegas stage in RuPaul’s Drag Race Live! What made you want to return to the Drag Race werkroom to compete again?
KM: To be honest with you, it was the Vegas show. Working with people like Naomi (Smalls), Vanjie, Asia O’Hara night after night and realizing “I can hold my own against all of these beautiful talented performers”. I saw something in me that I didn’t see in Season 11 that the world needed to see, and my sisters in that show supported me in that as well. They were like “Girl we don’t know who this is, but this is not the Kahanna from Season 11 and you need to go back”! Vanjie was very adamant on that with me. For a long time, I didn’t think that I should, but when I did that show, it really changed my perception. I deserve to be able to show who I am and the work that I put in; I just felt like it was time.
MC: Watching your final episode and watching what has been happening online, particularly with you and Heidi N. Closet online, did you start to see how the fandom can be towards Drag Race contestants and if so, how did you combat it and find a little peace for yourself?
KM: Absolutely. My first time around, there was a little bit of hate there, but I was on tv for two seconds; it was nothing compared to this. I will say, the love definitely outweighs it, it’s just hard sometimes. You give your all and I wasn’t really too concerned. What was shown as far as the acting challenges and people coming for that, it was more about me. When I saw things about me and how my appearance was, that really messed with me. This has nothing to do with my drag, people are coming for me. That was when I knew I had to step outside of it…I mean, they can come for Kahanna all day long (laughs). That’s my creativity, my inner baby. When I would see a lot of that, it would get to me, but let me tell you what got me out of it; doing my damn thing on stage.
I am literally at Werq The World right now, my absolute dream. I have dreamed about being on this tour since Season 11. I have to take a step back and say “those are trolls who are probably so jealous and didn’t stan for me from the beginning. There is nothing I can do”. I came to Drag Race not even just for me, but for the people that did believe in me. I am finally at a place where I am so happy doing everything that set my eyes out to do in the first place. It really overshadowed the hate for me. It does get annoying but when you see so much support from people who really have your back, it just changes everything for you. It just reminds me consistently that I am doing exactly what I need to do and I am exactly where I need to be.
MC: This season, you came very close to leaving the show on your own, to the extent that RuPaul actually returned to the werkroom and gave the queens a truly inspiring pep talk. What were that moment, as well as the moments leading up to it like in the werkroom?
KM: There were a lot of emotions going on. I will say, I could relate a little bit to Heidi in that moment. Feeling that I wanted to showcase “this” and maybe not being perceived that way, I can understand that. I feel like everybody’s decisions for whatever reason, it is what it is and I respect it. I feel like I was able to stop myself in that moment and not regret…If I would have left, I might have been like “Oh my God I lost this beautiful opportunity”. Who knows, I would have never been able to show how good I actually was. It was very important for me to say to myself that “even if I am in the bottom, I’m still here. And it doesn’t matter”.
I went home second. And now I am top six! I was literally thinking about the old me and how crazy she would be. “Girl do you not know where you are, who cares; you are here! Live it up, take this moment in…”. That was the deciding factor for me when Ru said “You’re here for you”. It just hit me different, and I realized that it was exactly why. To showcase myself-because I’m a star.
MC: This time around, you got to experience so much of Drag Race that you didn’t get to experience the first time around. What do you think your rose and thorn were of your Drag Race experience this time around?
KM: My absolute favorite was Snatch Game (laughs)! My favorite moment obviously has to be my win. There were so many elements in that episode, it was two challenges in one, and it was a long day. There were so many elements in it that I am so proud of. The fashion runway was so fun for me and the girl group challenge was fun. The be able to lip sync again and perform again all in one episode, I felt like it was jam packed with Kahanna!
I remember being at home watching back because I stayed up until midnight waiting for it to come out. I was so proud to see myself in that light, it was just my dream. That episode itself was so worth it to me.
MC: Everyone goes into Drag Race for their own reasons, and your All Stars season definitely seems like you have gotten a truly wonderful rudemption, is that fair to say?
KM: Oh yeah, I’ll take it! I definitely am very proud of my showing and just being able to be there, it ws a blessing for me.
MC: Where does Kahanna Montrese go now?
KM: Touring has always been a big dream of mine, and Werq The World is the first big tour that I have ever done. That was one of my biggest goals, to go back on Drag Race. I didn’t get a lot of opportunities outside of doing club gigs, so I really wanted to capitalize on the full Drag Race experience this time around. I am taking in every opportunity, milking it, and having fun with it. Nothing is promised; so I really wanted to enjoy every little thing that comes my way.
I really want to get into acting, I am going to prove not just to you all, but to myself that I can do it. I am going to take acting classes, I want to be a fully rounded entertainer that can really do it all. Anything that I feel like can be a weakness I want to prove to myself that it is something that I can do. I am very resilient, even when I knew that I couldn’t sew, I stayed up watching so many videos until I got it right. I feel the same way about acting, I want to take that on!
MC: We’ve truly gotten to see your evolve this season and truly step into your own. When Kahanna is off-stage, who is Kahanna Montrese truly?
KM: My name is Tyrone, I am very chill. I am super big into my religion, which is Lucumi, an African based religion. I am actually a priest in the religion so I do a lot of ceremonies. I am constantly working my religion. It is really hard, I do drag a lot, but I work my religion just as much and this is the longest that I have been away from it, touring and stuff.
It’s kind of been hard for me because I absolutely love my religion with everything in me. I am just really chill, my life is pretty much performing, art, and religion, that’s pretty much it; I am really low key. I am a very spiritual person and I believe that whatever brings you peace and gives you a connection, I am here for it.
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