Lexi Love

Last updated

Lexi Love
Born (1990-11-22) November 22, 1990 (age 34) [1]
Other names
Occupation Drag queen
Years active2009–present
Television RuPaul's Drag Race

Clair Barnes (born November 22, 1990), known professionally as Lexi Love, is an American drag performer and model. She rose to prominence for competing on the seventeenth season of reality competition television series RuPaul's Drag Race .

Contents

Career

Lexi Love was appointed as the official American ambassador to the United Kingdom-based House of Versace by Drag Race UK winner Krystal Versace. One of her mentors is 2016 Mr. Continental winner Mykul Jay Valentine. [5] An early drag mother of Lexi Love's was Nomi Love, and her current drag mother is Jessica Dimon. [6]

Lexi Love was announced to be competing in the seventeenth season of competition series RuPaul's Drag Race on December 4, 2024. [7] She was the first contestant to represent Louisville, [8] and the oldest competitor in the season. Many of her competitors referred to her as "grandma" or "auntie" which sparked a debate online with fans involving ageism in the franchise. [9]

In the second episode, Lexi Love performed "She's Giving" while roller skating and doing cartwheels, which impressed her castmates and ultimately won. [10] Her debut song was produced and co-written by record producer Drew Louis, and was released on January 10, 2025. [11] For the Snatch Game challenge, Lexi Love impersonated the late comedian Gilbert Gottfried; digital magazine Entertainment Weekly saw her effort and "tried her hand at pulling off the feat" as she became the third contestant in the series playing a male-presenting character. [12]

She remained safe constantly throughout the season, until she won a narrative interpretive dance challenge alongside Onya Nurve. [13] Lexi Love soon made it to the season finale and performed her second song titled "Classic", but was overall eliminated with Sam Star finishing in third place. [14] Her Instagram following grew by 1,144 percent as the show aired. [15]

Personal life

Barnes is a transgender woman and uses she/her pronouns. [16] She is based in Louisville, Kentucky. [17] Barnes was raised in Florence and previously performed within the Cincinnati metropolitan area for nearly a decade, [18] and afterwards Barnes worked for Play Dance Bar in 2021. [19] She survived a period of homelessness and drug addiction, mostly thanks to her drag family. [20]

During her appearance for the seventeenth season of RuPaul's Drag Race, Barnes disclosed in an interview about taking on a second mortgage for their garments. [21]

After various HIV resources from government websites attributing for the LGBTQ community were removed on January 22, 2025, [22] Barnes called out the second Donald Trump administration through social media platform Instagram. [23] She shared an infographic from the NOH8 campaign, revealing herself to be HIV positive, and utilized those funded programs from over ten years ago. [24]

Barnes soon announced her indefinite break from performing on April 27 through social media in order "to nurture my mental, physical, and emotional well-being." [25] It was revealed she will be admitting herself to a rehabilitation clinic. Her manager subsequently clarified on May 10 that although Barnes had suffered with methamphetamine addiction in the past, "meth is not a factor here" and is simply for emotional therapy as well as "complete sobriety" from all other forms of drugs and alcohol. [26] Barnes ended her time at the facility she attended on May 19, stating it was "short-lived due to some unforeseen circumstances." [27]

On June 18, 2025, Barnes got engaged with her partner Jay Groff, a trans man and vet tech. [28] [29] [30]

Artistry

Barnes cites her inspirations for her drag persona to be "nostalgic" from the annual Victoria's Secret runways and "very hardcore" in Y2K fashion. [31] She uses roller skates while performing and describes herself as Kentucky's "Roller-Derby Doll". [32] [33]

Trademark infringement

In August 2025, Selena Scola, a former pornographic actress who previously performed under the name "Lexi Love" announced that she had sent cease and desist letters to Barnes, RuPaul's Drag Race, Paramount, MTV, and World of Wonder seeking to enforce her trademark on the name "Lexi Love", which she claimed to have used for more than twenty years. [34] [35] Following the dispute, Barnes's accounts on Cameo, Facebook, and X (formerly Twitter) were suspended, and her debut single, "She's Giving", was removed from Spotify and Apple Music. [36] [37] [38]

In statements released to online newspapers Deadline and Out Magazine , Barnes said that Scola –who describes herself as "a SAG-AFTRA actor, AI architect, producer, and sustainable fashion entrepreneur" –had also sent cease and desist notices to several venues where Barnes had been booked to perform, resulting in three gig cancellations at the time of reporting. [36] [37] An investigation by Deadline found that although Scola had previously registered a trademark for the name "Lexi Love," it had lapsed in March 2015. She subsequently applied for a new trademark in February 2024, covering "performing artists being both human clients and digital talent in the nature of digital personas, virtual performers and AI-driven talent," which was granted in January 2025, [36] [39] about one month after the cast reveal of the seventeenth season of Drag Race. [7] Barnes remarked that Scola began attacking her personally after it was revealed she was cast on Drag Race and Scola's social media accounts were mistakenly tagged instead of her own. [36] [37] Scola also objected to Barnes's disclosure of her personal history on Drag Race such as her HIV status and previous drug addiction as causing brand confusion to Scola's trademark. [36] [37]

Additionally, Barnes gave a further statement citing that her legal team attempted to contact Scola trying to offer, as possible solutions, licensing agreements or terms, but without receiving any response from her, who continued to attack online and report all Barnes' social accounts for trademark infringement. [37] As of August 2025, Barnes's official Instagram and TikTok accounts remained the only active social media profiles, which she was required to operate under her deadname in order to avoid suspension. [40] [41]

Discography

Singles

List of singles as lead artist, showing year released, and album name
TitleYearAlbumWriter(s)Producers(s)Ref.
"She's Giving"
(or Club Love remix)		2025Non-album single Drew Louis, Lexi Love, and Timothy LiedelDrew Louis [42]

Filmography

Television

List of television credits, with selected details
YearTitleGenreRoleNotesRef.
2024 WHAS-TV InterviewGuestNo notes [43]
2025 RuPaul's Drag Race CompetitionHerself (contestant) Season 17 (3rd place) [7]
RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked
2025 MTV Video Music Awards Award ShowHerselfPerformer with Sabrina Carpenter, Willam, Laganja Estranja, Symone, and Denali [44]

References

  1. ↑ @mslexilove; (November 22, 2024). "🎂 34, lol………shit 😅😂" – via Instagram.
  2. ↑ O'Keeffe, Kevin (February 3, 2025). "'RuPaul's Drag Race' Season 17, Episode 5 recap: Live from the Werk Room". Xtra Magazine . Retrieved March 1, 2025.
  3. ↑ "Lexi Love Has a Message for Trans Youth — and a New Name". April 18, 2025. Archived from the original on May 11, 2025. Retrieved May 13, 2025.
  4. ↑ "From brunch to burlesque, here's where you can see a drag show in Louisville". courier-journal.com. Courier Journal . Retrieved December 6, 2024.
  5. ↑ Nolfi, Joey. "RuPaul's Drag Race season 17 queens promise 'profane imagery' on runway, loads of drama, and twisty 'panic' ahead". Entertainment Weekly . Archived from the original on December 11, 2024. Retrieved December 11, 2024.
  6. ↑ "RuPaul's Drag Race S17's Lexi Love, LOVES Louisville - Queer Kentucky". queerkentucky.com. January 30, 2025. Archived from the original on February 7, 2025. Retrieved March 8, 2025.
  7. 1 2 3 Nolfi, Joey (December 4, 2024). "RuPaul's Drag Race season 17 cast revealed as Rate-a-Queen returns with a major twist: 'The game is new'". Entertainment Weekly . Dotdash Meredith. Archived from the original on December 5, 2024. Retrieved December 4, 2024.
  8. ↑ Jenkins, Spencer (December 5, 2024). "Louisville's Lexi Love joins RuPaul's Drag Race season 17". Queer Kentucky. Retrieved March 8, 2025.
  9. ↑ Wratten, Marcus (January 17, 2025). "Does RuPaul's Drag Race have an age problem?". PinkNews . Archived from the original on February 10, 2025. Retrieved April 22, 2025.
  10. ↑ DeLellis, Trae (January 10, 2025). "RuPaul's Drag Race episode 2: Doechii guests, Michelle Visage gets dunked". Miami New Times . Voice Media Group. Archived from the original on January 25, 2025. Retrieved April 23, 2025.
  11. ↑ Aponte, Samuel (January 13, 2025). "Drew Louis, the creative force behind Drag Race's "My Kitty" is back". Too Much Love. Retrieved January 14, 2025.
  12. ↑ Nolfi, Joey (February 14, 2025). "Every Drag Race season 17 "Snatch Game" character: See all the stars the queens played". Entertainment Weekly . Archived from the original on February 18, 2025. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
  13. ↑ Huff, Matthew (March 21, 2025). "And then there were five! Who went home on RuPaul's Drag Race season 17 tonight?". Parade . Parade Media . Retrieved April 23, 2025.
  14. ↑ O'Keeffe, Kevin (April 21, 2025). "RuPaul's Drag Race season 17 finale recap: America's Next Drag Superstar XVII is …". Xtra Magazine . Pink Triangle Press. Archived from the original on April 21, 2025. Retrieved April 23, 2025.
  15. ↑ "Here's how many IG followers Drag Race S17's queens snatched". www.out.com. Archived from the original on April 27, 2025. Retrieved April 28, 2025.
  16. ↑ Sim, Bernardo (January 29, 2025). "Dear trans youth: 'You are a miracle who will survive'". Out . Archived from the original on January 30, 2025. Retrieved January 31, 2025.
  17. ↑ Tangcay, Jazz; Vary, Adam B. (December 4, 2024). "RuPaul's Drag Race announces season 17 cast, updated 'Rate-a-Queen' twist". Variety . Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on December 4, 2024. Retrieved December 4, 2024.
  18. ↑ ""RuPaul's Drag Race" Star Lexi Love: "We're Not Giving Up" - PAPER Magazine". www.papermag.com. Archived from the original on April 9, 2025. Retrieved March 28, 2025.
  19. ↑ Garcia, Joseph (December 11, 2024). "'A long time coming': Louisville's Lexi Love ready to bring 'Kentucky realness' to RuPaul's Drag Race". WHAS-TV . Retrieved March 3, 2025.
  20. ↑ Johnson, Marina. "Louisville drag queen to appear in season 17 of 'RuPaul's Drag Race'". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved March 8, 2025.
  21. ↑ Factora, James (January 8, 2025). "A second mortgage?! Lexi Love resurfaces the financial cost of Drag Race contestants". Them . Condé Nast. Archived from the original on March 3, 2025. Retrieved March 3, 2025.
  22. ↑ Hansford, Amelia (January 22, 2025). "Multiple government websites purged of LGBTQ+ content following Trump's inauguration". PinkNews . Archived from the original on February 2, 2025. Retrieved January 31, 2025.
  23. ↑ Damshenas, Sam (January 31, 2025). "'I will continue to love myself': Drag Race star Lexi Love shares HIV status as she calls out Trump administration". Gay Times . Archived from the original on January 31, 2025. Retrieved January 31, 2025.
  24. ↑ Grimes, Gary (January 29, 2025). "Drag Race star Lexi Love shares HIV status as Trump cuts overseas aid and removes White House resources". Attitude . Retrieved March 3, 2025.
  25. ↑ Robledo, Jordan (April 28, 2025). "Drag Race's Lexi Love announces hiatus to focus on 'mental, physical and emotional well-being'". Gay Times . Retrieved June 22, 2025.
  26. ↑ Nolfi, Joey (May 10, 2025). "RuPaul's Drag Race season 17 star Lexi Love enters 30-day rehab for substance abuse: 'We appreciate the support'". Entertainment Weekly . Dotdash Meredith . Retrieved June 22, 2025.
  27. ↑ Duncan, Charlie (May 20, 2025). "RuPaul's Drag Race's Lexi Love offers update on recovery after leaving rehab". PinkNews . Retrieved June 22, 2025.
  28. ↑ Groff, Jay (June 18, 2025). "We got ENGAGED!!! 🫶🏻 💍 I could write a book about my love for you but I'll just say this: I promise to love you to my fullest capacity everyday for as long as we both live 🩵". www.instagram.com. Retrieved August 28, 2025.
  29. ↑ Robledo, Jordan (June 19, 2025). "Drag Race star Lexi Love and her partner announce engagement". GAY TIMES. Retrieved August 28, 2025.
  30. ↑ Messman-Rucker, Ariel (June 21, 2025). "'Drag Race's Lexi Love on relapsing, sobriety & engagement". www.pride.com. Retrieved August 28, 2025.
  31. ↑ Garcia, Joseph. "'A long time coming': Louisville's Lexi Love ready to bring 'Kentucky realness' to RuPaul's Drag Race". MSN . Retrieved December 13, 2024.
  32. ↑ Stultz, Caleb. "Louisville's Lexi Love joins season 17 cast of RuPaul's Drag Race". Louisville Eccentric Observer . Archived from the original on January 4, 2025. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
  33. ↑ Stultz, Caleb (December 5, 2024). "Louisville's Lexi Love Joins Season 17 Cast Of RuPaul's Drag Race". LEO Weekly. Archived from the original on January 4, 2025. Retrieved March 8, 2025.
  34. ↑ Scola, Selena [@LexiLove] (August 8, 2025). "Clarification Regarding Misidentification & Trademark Infringement. The RuPaul's Drag Race Season 17 contestant using the name "Lexi Love" on Paramount+ / MTV / World of Wonder platforms is not me. Use of my name by RuPaul's Drag Race, contestant Barnes, and affiliated promotional platforms—including in performance, booking, DBA, and promotional materials—is unauthorized, nonconsensual, and constitutes trademark infringement. [...] Immediately cease all use of the Lexi Love® name" (Tweet). Retrieved August 28, 2025– via Twitter.
  35. ↑ Scola, Selena [@LexiLove] (August 22, 2025). "To be clear, the name Lexi Love® (USPTO Reg. No. 7,727,806) has been my federally registered trademark for 20 years, upheld by the World Intellectual Property Organization in 2009. Defending it is not about tearing down queer artists — it is about protecting my livelihood and identity from misappropriation" (Tweet). Retrieved August 28, 2025– via Twitter.
  36. 1 2 3 4 5 Garner, Glenn (August 23, 2025). "'RuPaul's Drag Race' Alum Lexi Love Responds To Porn Actor's Trademark Infringement Claim". Deadline. Retrieved August 28, 2025.
  37. 1 2 3 4 5 "Drag Race's Lexi Love: Copyright drama caused canceled gigs". www.out.com. Retrieved August 28, 2025.
  38. ↑ Barnes, Claire (August 23, 2025). "Due to recent trademark allegations by Selena Scola aka "Lexi Love" I don't know if my accounts will remain active, unfortunately. So be warned! If you noticed my music removed from Spotify and iTunes; this is also why. Please, stay tuned... 💔💔💔". www.instagram.com. Retrieved August 28, 2025.
  39. ↑ "Trademark Status & Document Retrieval". tsdr.uspto.gov. Retrieved August 28, 2025.
  40. ↑ Barnes, Claire. "Due to whatnot. I am forced to use my Dead Name, the only one I know no one can attack, so no one can close my accounts until I figure this out 😔😔😔". www.instagram.com. Retrieved August 28, 2025.
  41. ↑ Rodriguez, Mathew (August 27, 2025). "Drag Race' Star Lexi Love Is Fighting an AI "Artist" for Her Drag Alias. Now She's "Forced" to Use Her Deadname". Them. Retrieved September 1, 2025.
  42. ↑ Nurve, Onya (January 10, 2025). "She's Giving". Apple Music . Retrieved April 23, 2025.
  43. ↑ "Meet Lexi Love, Kentucky drag queen starring on next season of RuPaul's Drag Race" (Interview). Louisville, Kentucky: WHAS-TV. December 11, 2024. Retrieved December 11, 2024.
  44. ↑ Sim, Bernardo (September 7, 2025). "Sabrina Carpenter brings Drag Race queens and trans rights to VMAs". Out . Archived from the original on September 8, 2025. Retrieved September 8, 2025.
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