LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Fans of 'RuPaul Drag Race' have been blown away by superstar Adore Delano, who recently came out as trans. Adore is a 33-year-old singer and drag performer who rose to prominence as an 'American Idol' participant.
Adore sees existence as a constant exercise of reinvention. You might recognize her from her appearance on 'American Idol' in 2008 when she went by the birth name Danny Noriega and finished in the top 16. Or perhaps you remember her as the runner-up on Season 6 of 'RuPaul's Drag Race,' where her blazing catchphrases and fanatical charisma earned her a global fan base. Perhaps it's their 16-episode stint on 'Ex on the Beach' that brings it back to mind. She bleached her hair to appear like Gwen Stefani as a child, then colored it blue to look like Flea from Red Hot Chilli Peppers.
Who is Adore Delano?
Since her appearance on 'American Idol' in 2008, Adore has gone a long way. Adore auditioned for 'American Idol' Season 6 as Danny Noriega when she was 16 years old. She was, however, eliminated on the first day of Hollywood Week. She returned for Season 7 of 'American Idol' and made it to the Top 16 of the competition. Adore's most memorable performance in the evening was her stunning rendition of Soft Cell's 'Tainted Love'.
Adore became a YouTube star after leaving 'American Idol,' dancing in drag. In 2014, she participated in Season 6 of 'RuPaul's Drag Race,' finishing in the top three. She returned for Season 2 of 'RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars' in 2016, but finished ninth after leaving the competition voluntarily. 'Till Death Do Us Part' (2014), 'After Party' (2016), and 'Whatever' (2017) are Adore's three studio albums. In addition, she published her EP 'Dirty Laundry' in 2021.
Adore, now 33, is quite active on Instagram, where she shares details about her career and personal life. She just announced that she has been clean for six months, along with a lengthy commentary on her struggle. She stated that she now attends weekly counseling and that "there are no more vices (weed/cigarettes) for me to soak my feelings in." Adore also revealed that she is in the midst of purchasing her first home, which she describes as "insane" to her.
Adore willingly dropped out of Season 2 of 'RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars,' being the first competitor to do so. She exited the show on the second episode after receiving scathing criticism from judges Michelle Visage and Raven-Symoné. Adore told Michelle that she didn't want to be scrutinized again. Michelle and the other queens attempted to urge her to stay, but she decided to leave the program in order to protect her mental health. Later, Adore revealed that she would never be comfortable returning to 'RuPaul's Drag Race' since she believes it is a very different show now, with significant differences between what is required of the queens now and when she was on the program. Adore, on the other hand, was requested to return for Season 6 of 'Drag Race All Stars' and consented.
Despite the fact that Adore's time on 'Drag Race' looks to be ended, she has been traveling. In March, she completed the US leg of her Party Your World Tour in Austin, Texas. Adore played a couple more shows in June, including one at the Canal Club in Richmond, Virginia on Thursday, June 1. In June, she headlined the Baltimore Pride Kickoff Party at the Baltimore Soundstage.
It’s time we have “the talk”
Adore is speaking up about her path to gender euphoria. The 'American Idol' and 'RuPaul's Drag Race' veteran claimed she's "the happiest I've been in my adult life" after revealing on Instagram on July 26 that she's been transitioning for approximately three months. "There’s been a lot of talk about my body and questions about my gender going around the internet and in my comments section. I just wanted to explain everything that’s happening these past few months. I wanted to let everybody know that I am transitioning," she added in the video.
"I kept it really kind of hush-hush the first three months because I wanted to go through the beginning stages of puberty privately," added Adore. "I’ve found that it’s been very enlightening and has made me probably the happiest I’ve been in my adult life."
Adore described coming out as bisexual at the age of 12, and then gay at the age of 13. "I felt like I was in a completely different body that was not my own, and I lived my life as a girl all my high school life," she says. She then revealed to her mother that she was transsexual. "I didn't know the words for that, I just told my mom I'm not a boy, I'm a girl," Adore revealed. "I want to live my life as a girl." "And I'm so blessed to have a mom, especially in the subculture that I grew up in, that was understanding," she said, saying that her mother helped her get through high school, taught her how to fight, and let her wear whatever clothing and cosmetics she wanted.
"Then, American Idol came along," Adore continued. "And I suppressed everything. I threw it away, I burned it, I tried to reinvent myself. It's something I'm really good at doing as a Scorpio rising. But I reinvented myself into something that was so uncomfortable," she explained. "It was almost like a sacrifice to get what I wanted career-wise, and it made sense to me at the time as a 16-year-old."
Adore revealed that after being clean two years ago, she began attending counseling early this year, which helped her decide to transition. "I am not kidding when I tell you that I am so chill. I love life again," she said after three months of estrogen therapy. "I feel almost like a kid going through puberty, because I already have like a childlike brain, but at the same time, I'm hopeful. I feel good."
Adore said that she would have surgery in November. "So, I'm probably gonna look a little different. Not too different, but I'm gonna be moving into the euphoric parts of the book. She's a hardcover, but we're gonna be a New York Times' bestseller with this body, you know what I mean?" Adore was added.