After 16 episodes and even more memorable moments, season 13 of RuPaul’s Drag Race came to a close Friday night (April 23), and one of the top four queens — Gottmik, Kandy Muse, Rosé and Symone — got to claim the crown and the $100,000 cash prize. Spoilers ahead!
After a “lip sync for the crown” battle royale, Symone was crowned the winner of season 13, and America’s next drag superstar. Symone became a front-runner early on in the competition by taking home two challenge wins at the start of the season. Despite lip-syncing three times, Symone proved to be a fierce competitor, taking home a whopping four wins in one season.
The crowning came after a high-octane “lip sync smackdown,” as RuPaul put it, where the top four fought it out to the tune of three Britney Spears tracks. In the first round, Kandy Muse managed to knock out Rosé with her energetic lip sync to “Work Bitch,” while Symone overcame Gottmik in a lip sync to “Gimme More.” In the final showdown, Symone and Kandy duked it out to “Till the World Ends,” with Symone ultimately emerging victorious.
Wearing a sparkling yellow fringe dress with streamers emerging from the top of her massive updo, Symone tearfully accepted the crown and scepter from season 12 winner Jaida Essence Hall. Calling back to her entrance line on the season, Symone kept her remarks sweet and simple: “I told y’all not to let the smooth taste fool you!”
