Drag Race Contestant Dies Mid-Production, Show Airs Emotional Aftermath in Heart-Wrenching Episode

Drag Race Philippines paid tribute to the late Misua, who passed away earlier this year while filming season four of the World of Wonder competition series.

via: EW

Nearly six months after 27-year-old Drag Race Philippines contestant Misua died in her sleep during production of the international RuPaul’s Drag Race spinoff’s fourth season, the show debuted Friday the episode Misua was filming at the time of her death.

The emotional installment, titled “Can I Get an Eme?,” began with the queens returning to the Werk Room after episode 1, which Misua competed on.

As the queens prepared for this week’s fan-favorite girl group challenge, Misua and the others recorded their vocals for their respective tracks that would play overhead during the Main Stage competition, though the screen faded to black after Misua’s final confessional of the day.

At around 27 minutes into the episode, two title cards then appeared on screen, indicating what happened to Misua between filming.

“We are heartbroken to share that Jason Elvie Ty, known to many as Misua, passed away in her sleep on the morning of April 2, 2026. Misua was a talented queen from Cagayan de Oro. She brought light, artistry, and joy to everyone around her. She will be deeply missed,” the first card read.

The second continued: “Her passing occurred during the filming of this episode. Production was temporarily halted to care for the queens and provide support for the cast and crew. We honor Misua’s memory and her beautiful spirit that she generously shared with the world. We pay tribute to her today and for the entire season. Light and love, dearest Misua.”

After a brief pause in production, the queens then returned to the Werk Room, where they broke down in tears reflecting on Misua’s impact.

“It’s really hard to fathom that we’re in a competition and then all of a sudden we heard that news. This is like a wake-up call that life is really short,” Bombalicious Eklaver said, adding that “it’s an honor and a privilege to get to know Misua in a short amount of time.”

Then, Misua’s close friend outside of the competition, Merckz, broke down as she reflected on one of the final conversations she had with Misua before her death.

“We were talking about how we’re not behind the scenes anymore, you know?” Merckz said through tears, referencing her and Misua’s work as a choreographer and fashion designer who helped numerous Drag Race Philippines queens prepare for their runs on the show. “She told me, ‘Sis, we’re in the spotlight now.’”

The queens additionally honored Misua by shouting her name and lifting their hands into the air, before they got into drag to compete on the Main Stage.

Before the girl group performances, host Paolo Ballesteros got visibly emotional while addressing the panel of judges: “Tonight, we pause with heavy hearts. On behalf of [production company] World of Wonder and the entire Drag Race family, we extend our deepest condolences to the Ty family, the House of Lafeya, and to all who knew and loved Misua. Misua, you will always have a place in our hearts. Thank you so much, and goodbye, queen Misua. We love you.”

Mama Pao added that “for the rest of the season, [we’ll] honor you,” and that the show would continue that night “exactly as she would’ve wanted.”

During the performance, Manza swirled a yellow dragon around in the air while the lights dimmed for Misua’s verse in the song, which the show still included in the tune as the queens performed.

Finally, Mama Pao announced that there would be no elimination that week, but there would be a lip-sync for the win. The judges cried watching both Merckz and Katana perform during the final act, while they again brought out the yellow dragon in honor of Misua.

After Merckz won the lip-sync, Pao sent the show off with another tribute to Misua and another late personality — Drag Race season 4 and All Stars 6 alum Jiggly Caliente, who later joined the Drag Race Philippines judging panel before her death in April 2025.

“Can I get a, ‘We love you, Misua’ up in here?” Pao asked of the contestants, before turning to the camera to say, “And we love you also, Jiggly!”

Misua is one of several Drag Race contestants who’ve died throughout the run of the franchise. Deceased alums include Sahara Davenport (season 2), Chi Chi DeVayne (season 8, All Stars 3), and The Vivienne (Drag Race UK season 1, All Stars 7), among others.

Drag Race Philippines season 4 continues Fridays on WOW Presents Plus. See the show’s tributes to Misua above.

Editor’s note: A prior version of this article incorrectly listed Merckz as the queen who brought the dragon on stage, when it was Manza. We’ve updated the text.