Peppermint fears – Peppermint says she wishes RuPaul Charles would speak out against the Ellisons’ control of Paramount—warning that “Drag Race” could be forced into “weird messaging” after Skydance completes its $8 billion merger. She also argues no traditional TV platform may
On Tuesday, Peppermint didn’t sound worried in the abstract. She sounded like someone watching a favorite show get pulled toward a new owner’s gravity—one she believes could change what “Drag Race” is allowed to say.
The “Drag Race” alum said she wished RuPaul Charles would speak out against the Ellisons. fearing what could come next as Paramount’s ownership shifts. In a conversation with Blade. Peppermint pointed to politics. money. and power—specifically “what is happening in our country with regards to the control over politics and policy and the intersection again of money with politics. especially as related to the Ellisons and the purchase of Paramount. ” she said.
Then she painted a blunt picture of what she expects if silence continues. “We’ll know when the takeover is complete. when RuPaul is like. ‘I love Larry Ellison. ’ cause that’s probably happening. ” Peppermint said. “They’re gonna get a script. So let’s just wait for them to get a script and start talking about how great President Trump is. whatever. I don’t know.”.
Her concern lands on a specific detail: RuPaul has yet to speak out against the new ownership of the network. Peppermint tied that hesitation to the show’s current home. “Drag Race” streams on MTV, which is owned by Paramount.
Behind the scenes, Peppermint’s unease is rooted in how the Ellisons have positioned themselves with President Donald Trump. David Ellison—son of billionaire Larry Ellison and owner of Paramount Skydance—has been transparent about his family’s friendly relationship with Trump. Peppermint pointed to how Ellison has “cozied up to Trump’s administration” as the company tries to finalize its Warner Bros. Discovery merger.
That deal, dubbed “the Warnermount deal” by the press, would expand the Ellison-run company’s footprint in legacy media, including CNN—an expansion that has already sparked First Amendment concerns.
For Peppermint, the stakes aren’t theoretical. She said the “Drag Race” franchise could face a very practical kind of pressure: political messaging edited out—or rewritten.
The series, she said, hasn’t shied away from politics, especially when it comes to LGBTQ+ rights. But as it has moved into mainstream popularity, she believes it has “softened.” Now, she fears new ownership could push the show in the other direction—toward compliance.
Peppermint. the first openly transgender woman to compete on the series and the runner-up on Season 9. predicted Paramount may “retool ‘Drag Race’ to take out political messaging” in order to appease the new owners. “What I envision happening is they will try to either cut ‘Drag Race’ or use it as a tool to parrot what they want to say. ” she said. “I hope that doesn’t happen, but it’s either one or the other.”.
She didn’t stop at the possibility of changes to content. Peppermint warned that the broader media umbrella could squeeze creative space. “I certainly see a world where Paramount. CNN. anything under this new umbrella is going to have to follow what their owner and boss wants. ” she said. “Every show, every network that’s been sort of sucked into the umbrella is gonna have to fall in line. That’s what fascism is about. You follow directions. And so I think that’s in the future for the show if they don’t leave.”.
Her fear. she said. is “weird messaging.” She described a scenario where the show could be compelled to deliver patriotic cues in a way that serves Trump branding. “We’ll wake up one day and … Suddenly they’re like forcing us to say the Pledge of Allegiance. but with Donald Trump’s name in it. Like that’s what’s gonna happen,” she said.
Peppermint urged the Ellisons “to just leave ‘Drag Race’ alone,” adding that the franchise matters because it “features wonderful drag entertainers.” She made clear she isn’t depending on the show itself for her political work: “I don’t rely on ‘Drag Race’ to get my political anything,” she said.
Still. she suggested there may be a path for artists to stay freer—possibly by moving to platforms beyond linear television. Peppermint said “Drag Race” could move to YouTube or another platform to speak more freely. “Ultimately no linear, traditional television is safe. They own most of it,” she argued.
Her warnings arrive after a major ownership change: the franchise has released two seasons—“Drag Race” Season 18 and “All Stars” Season 11—since Skydance completed its $8 billion merger and acquisition of Paramount Global in August 2025.
RuPaul and Paramount Skydance representatives did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.
Peppermint RuPaul Charles Drag Race Ellisons Paramount Skydance MTV First Amendment concerns Trump LGBTQ rights Season 18 All Stars Season 11