Willow Pill

Willow Patterson, known professionally as Willow Pill, is an American drag performer and recording artist born on January 22, 1995, in Denver, Colorado. She attended Arapahoe High School in Littleton Public Schools before pursuing higher education at Colorado State University. Willow Pill began performing drag at the age of 21, having followed RuPaul’s Drag Race since she was 14. Her initial drag performance took place at a Colorado State University drag show, where she presented a comedic routine featuring a 90s housewife aesthetic and danced to a mix of Missy Elliott and Gwen Stefani tracks. By 2016, she was actively performing, inspired by prominent drag queens such as Raja, Jinkx Monsoon, and Adore Delano.

Willow Pill gained widespread recognition in 2022 as a contestant on Season 14 of RuPaul’s Drag Race. She had auditioned for the show three times prior to her successful casting. During her tenure on the program, she openly discussed her experience living with cystinosis, a rare genetic disorder she has managed since childhood. Her drag aesthetic draws influences from retro glamour, surreal imagery, and vintage photos of her mother from the 1960s, 70s, and 90s, often incorporating themes of illness, mortality, and gender exploration into her looks and performances. She notable created a ‘house’ look based on a dream about a doll outgrowing its toy home.

Willow Pill emerged as the winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 14, receiving a prize of $150,000. Her victory marked a significant milestone, making her the first transgender woman and the second contestant with a chronic illness to win a regular season of the show. During the season, she identified as trans femme and later came out as trans publicly. Her win underscored the franchise’s evolving approach to gender identity and inclusion. Following her success, she released the single “Angle” accompanied by a music video and collaborated with Yvie Oddly on the track “Sick Bitch.” She has expressed intentions to invest a portion of her prize money for future children’s education and save the remainder with an aim towards early retirement.