Maxi Shield, a beloved drag queen and fixture of Sydney's cultural scene, has died after a battle with throat cancer. She was 51.
The performer, whose real name was Kristopher Elliot, rose to global fame after competing on season one of RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under in 2021. Her death was confirmed by fellow Sydney drag queen Vanity Faire in a social media post.
“We are all mourning the loss of an incredible icon, friend, and our beloved sister,” Vanity wrote. “Thank you for the laughs, the cackles, and the magic you brought into our lives.”
Maxi Shield performed at the closing ceremony of the 2000 Sydney Olympics and the 2002 Gay Games. She also attempted a world record for the largest Drag Queen Story Time event at the 2020 Oxtravaganza during Sydney's Mardi Gras and was featured in Virgin Australia's maiden Pride Flight in 2021.
The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras said they were “devastated” by the news, calling Maxi Shield “an icon and pillar of our community.”
