‘Drag Race’ star Suzie Toot reveals why Jewels Sparkles didn’t tell on Arrietty for stolen roast jokes

RuPaul’s Drag Race season 17 clocked in for its most dramatic episode yet, amid the queens pulling no punches during the hilarious Villains Roast — and its latest eliminated contestant, Arrietty, sought revenge by dropping a bombshell on her season sister by stealing pre-written jokes from Jewels Sparkles after the latter put her in a precarious position in the comedy challenge order.

In an exclusive interview with Entertainment Weekly shortly after Friday’s episode aired, fellow cast member Suzie Toot recalls the on-set drama as a “force” that impacted the entire Werk Room environment. “It was heat in that room, in a crazy way,” Suzie says with a laugh, after she was shown on camera attempting to calm both Arrietty and Lexi Love, who also felt sabotaged by Jewels selecting her to go last in the roast rotation.

One thing Suzie (or anyone, for that matter) couldn’t have mediated was the bombshell revelation that, in retaliation against Jewels, Arrietty (whom Jewels placed one spot ahead of herself in the lineup) had stolen some of her sister’s jokes and used them on stage. The camera showed Jewels looking perturbed in the audience, but Suzie tells EW why Jewels didn’t immediately jump to out Arrietty’s actions.

“[She didn’t tell anyone] in the moment. It wasn’t until a van ride that night until she told me what happened,” Suzie remembers. “Here’s the thing. Jewels said, ‘I’m going to hold this in. I’m not going to say it unless Arrietty says it, because if she goes home tonight, I don’t want this to be part of her narrative.'”

Arrietty did, however, bring it up to the group later during filming for the Untucked companion series, so Jewels spoke about on camera in a confessional that aired during the Villains Roast, which welcomed back past contestants Mistress Isabelle Brooks, Plane Jane, and Kandy Muse.

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In her EW elimination interview, Arrietty suggested that the rift on set impacted her in emotional ways, and that she and Jewels aren’t necessarily the closest sisters of the season 17 cast. Suzie confirms that Friday night’s drama “was one of the fights that affected the real relationships of the girls,” because it left things “unresolved for weeks” after Arrietty left without an opportunity to see Jewels until after filming wrapped.

“It’s all good now. The group chat is still alive,” Suzie says. “There was a dip during the season when people weren’t talking, but everything is good!”

Elsewhere during her conversation with EW, which took place Friday night at P Town bar in Pittsburgh, Suzie reveals a joke she wrote down but didn’t ultimately use during the roast — and it involves a popular Drag Race All Stars icon.

“I’ll tell you one,” Suzie says with a laugh. “Mistress looks like Trixie Mattel if you put a bicycle pump inside of her.”

Suzie additionally speaks about season 17 contestant (and roast-winning queen) Lydia Butthole Kollins, who hails from Pittsburgh, and the latter’s romantic relationship with fellow cast member Kori King.

“You watch the show, they’re practically f—in’ on episode 1. I clocked it, because at first, and this is tea, this is exclusive, I’d written in my journal the day before the Monopulence work day, ‘Maybe I should start a fake romance with Kori King because I think she’s kind of into me and it would be funny.’ She was sending signals my way. Your woman was being cheated on!” Suzie says.

Indica, a drag entertainer who hosts the Another Party event, also praises Lydia as a representation of the local drag scene: “[What] Lydia is telling the world about Pittsburgh drag is that we smell bad!” she jokes. “In all seriousness, what Lydia is telling the world about Pittsburgh drag is that Pittsburgh is a city that often gets forgotten about when you think about the bigger cities. But, some of the coolest, punkest, and most transgressive drag happens right here.”

RuPaul’s Drag Race season 17 continues Fridays on MTV.