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Orion Story: Returning to the "Drag Race" Workroom Was "Terrifying"

"I felt really mischievous," says the Season 14 queen.

Turns out the story was not over for Orion Story.

The Michigan-based queen sashayed away on the first episode of RuPaul's Drag Race Season 14, but as usual, Ru had some tricks up his sleeve, and brought Orion and other eliminated queen, Daya Betty, back into the competition after the two-part premiere. Orion lived to see another day in the workroom, watching as June Jambalaya and Alyssa Hunter packed their bags in the following episodes.

But after her lackluster performance in the "Save a Queen" acting challenge for first-eliminated contestants from Drag Race past, and a rabbit-inspired runway look that didn't make the judges hop, Orion found herself back in the bottom two. This time she was up against Jorgeous, as the two lip-synced to Ava Max's "My Head & My Heart." In the end Jorgeous' moves sent Orion packin' for a second time.

Orion spoke with Logo about her Drag Race return, why she got so upset during the judges' runway critiques, if she think she got her redemption, and what she wouldn't wish on her worst enemy.

So I just talked to you a couple of weeks ago and turns out you were sitting on a secret.

Was I?

First off, were you surprised that you were given a second chance? What was going on in your mind when you were brought back to the competition?

I mean, honestly, it's Drag Race, so you never really know what to expect. I was a little suspicious, because I was like, they're not going to send me home before I get to meet the other girls. And then when they finally told me, I was like, I knew it! But yeah, also, I think when you're in the experience too, you don't really think a lot about that. Because in the moment I was just like, oh shit, I just got eliminated. That was really mostly what was going through my head. So I was just kind of like still a little upset about that.

Well, it definitely sounds like a rollercoaster of emotions.

Absolutely. It's surprising if you go a day on Drag Race without having an emotional rollercoaster.

Yes, I can imagine, because like you just said, you're disappointed, you're sad that you're going home. And you're like, oh wait, actually now I get a second chance and I have to step it up again.

Oh my god. When they tell you to pack... Like unpacking, repacking, and unpacking my bag again was absolutely horrible. And I don't wish that on my worst enemy.

And then you had to repack just a couple of episodes later.

Yes. Thanks for reminding me.

When you came back into the competition, what was it like when you walked back to the workroom? What was the vibe like?

I felt really mischievous. First of all, I was excited that I got a second chance, but I was also interested to meet the other girls. And I was excited to see everyone's face when I walked back in the room. It was exciting, but it was also kind of terrifying because it's like, okay, I'm back. Now I really have to prove myself even harder.

Did you and Daya have a bond since you two were eliminated and then brought back?

Yeah. I mean, especially recently we've gotten pretty close. I wouldn't say we were really super close on the show, but more so recently, because she lives in Chicago and I only live a couple hours away, so I'm always in Chicago, and we get lunch together and we've hung out. She's one that I am a lot closer to now. I think especially going through the experience of actually having to pretend that we went home. I remember when her episode was about to air, she was messaging me like, "How did it go? How are you feeling?" I think she was a little anxious about it, so I was telling her how it went for me, and it was great. I had a really amazing experience. So I was just telling her don't worry about it, it's great, people are going to love you.

How nice.

Drag Race is like you said, it's an emotional rollercoaster. I think especially after the show, too, like as it's airing because the competition is still going in a way. When you're watching the show back, it's really reliving all of that again, because it's like you have time, like when you get back from the show, to kind of process it, but then when it airs, you're opening up the can of worms again. It's important I think for us all to be close and be there for each other. We've been really close, we've been like a family. The greatest thing that I've gotten from the show is my Season 14 family.

For this week's episode, when you're up there and the judges are critiquing you about your spring runway look, did you feel that things were going south?

I mean, I disagreed with a lot of the critiques of my bunny look. I loved that. That was probably one of my favorite looks that I got to wear. But honestly, at that point in the competition, I was just really going through a lot of emotions. So I just, I remember standing on the main stage. I was really emotional, but I was also I think just letting my emotions get to me. I think I was letting some of the critiques get to me. I was getting a little angry about the critiques, but it's like I couldn't really be mad about it, per se, because it's like I knew I did really bad in that challenge, it was about more than just my runway. I was like, they could not tell me that I was not the hottest one up there. That's how you know I'm self-centered when I was like, yeah, my critiques about the challenge, but my critiques about my runway? How dare you!

I can totally understand you getting upset because if I was already sent home and then I was back in the competition, I would almost feel like I was on borrowed time, you know?

That's really kind of how I felt. I didn't feel like I was always getting critiqued the same as the other girls. I just felt like they were so much harder on me sometimes. And I felt like they were letting girls get away with stuff. I worked so hard on my costumes, and I didn't agree with some of my critiques. I think that was why I was getting upset.

Then were you nervous when you had to go up against Jorgeous for the lip sync, since she is such a good dancer?

Yeah. We know, we know. At that point, I wouldn't say that I gave up at all. I definitely still put up a fight, but I kind of knew like, yeah, I'm not going to win this. I felt like it was my time, which you know, looking back was so terrible to say, because I just want to go back and slap myself in the face, but also give myself a hug. In that moment I was really just like, I think I would've felt bad sending Jorgeous home, because I just felt like with the way that things were going, she had more to offer at that moment, which... I think just with my mental state, I kind of felt, not like it was my time, but it was not going to play out for me, you know?

Yeah. I get that. So when we last spoke, you said that you were ready for your redemption. So do you feel that you got your redemption?

Not as much as I would've liked. I'm a big believer that everything happens for a reason. And I feel like my experience on Drag Race happened the way that it did for a reason, and I think it's really a learning experience so that I can come back and slay a third time.

I love that. Well, Orion, it was so great to talk to you again and I really liked your bunny look.

Oh my god, wasn't it good? Didn't I look good?

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