Nina Bo'nina Brown

Pierre Leverne Dease (born July 12, 1982), better known by the stage name Nina Bo'nina Brown,[2] is an American drag queen and television personality best known for starring on the ninth season of RuPaul's Drag Race, where she placed sixth.

Nina Bo'nina Brown
Brown in 2018
Born
Pierre Leverne Dease

(1982-07-12) July 12, 1982
Columbia, South Carolina, U.S.
Occupation(s)Drag queen, YouTuber
Known forRuPaul's Drag Race
YouTube information
Channel
Years active2006–present
Genre(s)Comedy, make-up artist, drag
Subscribers130 thousand[1]
(February 25, 2023)
Total views19.35 million[1]
(February 25, 2023)
100,000 subscribers2019
Last updated: February 25, 2023

Early life

Dease was born on July 12, 1982. She was born and raised in Columbia, South Carolina before moving to Riverdale, Georgia, where she currently resides.[3]

Career

Early drag career

Brown made her drag performance debut under the stage name 'Shameekah' in 2009.[4] Before adopting her current name, she also performed under the stage names 'Beatta Bitchass' and 'Lady Guinavere'.[5]

In 2013, Brown began uploading makeup tutorials to her YouTube channel.[6] These videos, along with uploads of her casting auditions for seasons five through eight, gained Brown prominence in the drag community. She was the makeup artist for some of Phi Phi O'Hara's looks for her "365 Days of Drag" project.[7]

RuPaul's Drag Race

Brown auditioned for RuPaul's Drag Race seasons five through eight.[8] She was announced as one of fourteen contestants competing on the ninth season of RuPaul's Drag Race on February 2, 2017.[9]

The premier of season 9, Drag Race's first episode on VH1, aired on March 24, 2017.[10] Brown entered the Werkroom in a mouse look made of paper with the entrance line, "I'm Nina, Bo'nina, Banana, Fofana, Osama Bin Laden Brown! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"[11] She was the winner of the premiere episode's challenge (Miss Charisma, Uniqueness, Nerve and Talent), guest judged by Lady Gaga.[12]

In episode five, Brown voiced her frustrations on not being cast as model Blac Chyna for the Rusical challenge. She named her 2018 tour "I Shoulda Been Blac Chyna" after this moment.[13] Drag Race alumni Alaska also referenced this moment in a line of her song "Valentina".[14]

Brown placed in the bottom two three times, eliminating Aja and Valentina. She was eliminated on the makeover challenge episode after losing a lip sync of "Cool for the Summer" by Demi Lovato against Shea Couleé.[15]

Fashion Photo RuView

Brown and Vanessa Vanjie Mateo guest hosted four episodes of the WOWPresents internet series Fashion Photo RuView between November 2018 and January 2019.[16][17]

Rawview YouTube series

Since the premier of All Stars 4 in 2018, Brown has self-published reviews of Rupaul's Drag Race and its international spin-off series on her YouTube channel.[18] Rawviews are generally segmented into general discussion, reading tips and comments, 'Beauty and Looks', and a live reaction to the respective episode.[19]

In addition to reviewing Drag Race, Brown has created Rawviews for other shows including The Boulet Brothers' Dragula and WOW Presents Plus series Painted with Raven.

MAC Cosmetics Campaign

In June 2018, she was sponsored by MAC Cosmetics to review and promote the 2018 Aaliyah collection.[20][21] She dressed as a humanoid zebra in the July 2018 issue of Paper, modeling for Gypsy Sport's Fall 2018 campaign.[22] She modeled again for Gypsy Sport's Spring 2019 campaign.[23]

Personal life

Dease is openly gay.[24] Prior to filming season nine of Drag Race, he relocated to Atlanta, Georgia.[25][26]

In RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked, Dease stated that his audition for season nine was going to be his final attempt. According to Dease, being rejected from seasons five through eight played a role in his depression and anxiety.[27]

Controversy

In 2017, Nina Bo’nina Brown received backlash for sending fan favorite Valentina home in a lipsync for your life on the 9th episode of the ninth season of RuPaul's Drag Race.[28] The elimination went down as one of the shows most controversial lipsyncs and placed in Gay Times Top 10 Most Controversial RuPaul's Drag Race Eliminations.[29]

In 2021, Nina Bo’nina Brown was accused of making transphobic comments about Gottmik, a contestant on the thirteenth season of RuPaul's Drag Race; Kade Gottlieb (aka Gottmik) is a transgender male.[30][31] Brown's joke about Gottmik's hips prompted criticism from several RuPaul’s Drag Race contestants, with many stars defending Gottmik, including Yvie Oddly, Jackie Cox, Denali, Kameron Michaels, and Jan Sport, as well as Bimini Bon-Boulash, Joe Black, Cheryl Hole, and Crystal from RuPaul's Drag Race UK.[32] Brown claimed that the criticism was unwarranted and denied accusations of transphobia.

Filmography

Television
Year Title Role Notes
2017 RuPaul's Drag Race Herself Season 9, 6th place
RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked Season 9
The Real Housewives of Atlanta Episode: Season 10, Episode 1

Web series
Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2017 Drag Queen Carpool Herself Hosted by RuPaul [33]
Drag Makeup Tutorial Herself [34]
Hey Qween! Herself Hosted by Jonny McGovern [35]
Whatcha Packin' Herself Hosted by Michelle Visage [36]
Queen To Queen Herself With Aja [37]
2018 Fashion Photo RuView Herself (guest co-host) 4 episodes [38]
2019 Reading Queens Herself [39]
How To Makeup Herself [40]
2019–present Rawview series Herself (host) Nina Bo'nina Brown's YouTube channel [41]
2020 Brunch With Tiffany Herself Episode: Season 3, Episode 6 (Finale) [42]

References
  1. "About Nina Bo'nina Brown". YouTube.
  2. "'RuPaul's Drag Race' season 9 episode 1: Lady Gaga, the Queens and spoilers". International Business Times AU. March 9, 2017. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
  3. "July 12th: It's YOUR Birthday, Bitch!". The WOW Report. July 12, 2018. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
  4. SHAMEEKAH'S 1ST SHOW, retrieved February 25, 2023
  5. Rindfuss, Bryan. "Chameleonic Queen Nina Bo'Nina Brown Brings Her Wild Drag Stylings to Heat". San Antonio Current. Archived from the original on March 4, 2020. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
  6. Drag Queen Makeup Tutorial, retrieved February 25, 2023
  7. "The Many Faces of Nina Bo'Nina Brown". Instinct. August 4, 2017. Archived from the original on August 3, 2018. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
  8. Nina Bo'nina Brown (May 7, 2012), Rupaul's drag race season 5 audition, retrieved August 3, 2018
  9. "RuPaul's Drag Race Cast | logotv.com". Logo TV. Archived from the original on November 14, 2017. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
  10. "RuPaul's Drag Race Moves to VH1, Gets Season 9 Premiere Date". TVGuide.com. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  11. "RuPaul's Drag Race Season 9 / Characters". TV Tropes. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  12. Cook, Michael. "RuPaul's Drag Race, Exit Interview: Nina Bo'nina Brown". Retrieved August 3, 2018.
  13. "Nina Bonina Brown". Shady Ladies Events. February 23, 2018. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
  14. "Alaska Skewers The Year's Biggest "Drag Race" Scandal With "Valentina" Music Video". LOGO News. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
  15. Sava, Oliver. "The Drag Race crew jumps in front of the camera for the makeover challenge". TV Club. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
  16. WOWPresents (November 3, 2018), FASHION PHOTO RUVIEW: Dancing Queen with Miss Vanjie and Nina Bo'nina Brown!, retrieved November 3, 2018
  17. WOWPresents (November 17, 2018), FASHION PHOTO RUVIEW: Vanessa Vanjie and Nina Bo'nina Brown!, retrieved November 22, 2018
  18. "NINA'S RPDR ALLSTARS 4 EPISODE 2 REVIEW". YouTube. December 27, 2018. Retrieved April 12, 2019.
  19. "NINA'S RPDR SEASON 11 RAWVIEW PREMIER". YouTube. March 2, 2019. Retrieved April 12, 2019.
  20. "@nina_bonina_brown on Instagram: "I'm so excited about @maccosmetics @maccosmeticsuk for listening to the people and making the Aaliyah collection possible !! I hope u guys…"". Instagram. Archived from the original on December 24, 2021. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
  21. Nina Bo'nina Brown (June 12, 2018), Aaliyah Mac Collection Review/Tutorial, retrieved August 3, 2018
  22. "Nina Bo'Nina Brown Serves Zebra Realness in Gypsy Sport's New Campaign". PAPER. July 4, 2018. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
  23. "Healing". PAPER. September 12, 2018. Retrieved September 17, 2018.
  24. "'RuPaul's Drag Race' moves to VH1 featuring Riverdale's Nina Bo'Nina Brown". ajc. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
  25. Nina Bo'nina Brown (February 3, 2018), Depression and anxiety, retrieved August 3, 2018
  26. Qween, Hey (May 30, 2017). "Nina Bo'Nina Brown On Her Struggle With Loving Herself". Huffington Post. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
  27. "RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked, S9:E1 "Oh My Gaga!"". YouTube.
  28. "RuPaul's Drag Race Season 9 Episode 9 Ruview". vulture. September 25, 2017.
  29. "Top 10 Most Controversial RuPaul's Drag Race Eliminations". Gay Times. January 19, 2021.
  30. "Nina Bo'Nina Brown Accused By Fans Of Making Transphobic Remarks about Gottmik In New RuPaul's Drag Race Season 13 Episode 6 Review". Twitter.
  31. "Nina Bonina Brown Accused Of Transphobia On Twitter". twitter.
  32. Kelly, Emma (February 9, 2021). "RuPaul's Drag Race stars come out against transphobia after Nina Bo'nina Brown comments about Gottmik". Metro. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  33. Drag Queen Carpool: Nina Bo'Nina Brown | RuPaul's Drag Race Season 9 | Now on VH1!. YouTube. March 28, 2017. Retrieved August 30, 2019.
  34. Drag Makeup Tutorial: Nina's Black & White 3D Glamour | RuPaul's Drag Race Season 9 | Now on VH1. YouTube. May 30, 2017. Retrieved August 30, 2019.
  35. Porkchop Parker & Nina Bo'Nina Brown on HEY QWEEN! with Jonny McGovern | Hey Qween, retrieved February 23, 2023
  36. Whatcha Packin’ w/ Michelle Visage & Nina Bo'Nina Brown | RuPaul's Drag Race (Season 9 Episode 10). YouTube. May 29, 2017. Retrieved August 30, 2019.
  37. Queen To Queen: Aja & Nina Bo'Nina Brown | RuPaul's Drag Race Season 9 | Now on VH1. YouTube. June 16, 2017. Retrieved August 30, 2019.
  38. FASHION PHOTO RUVIEW: Dancing Queen with Miss Vanjie and Nina Bo'nina Brown!. YouTube. November 3, 2018. Retrieved August 30, 2019.
  39. Nina Bo'nina Brown: Reading Queens with Char Margolis. WOWPresents. October 9, 2019. Retrieved October 9, 2019.
  40. Nina Bonina Brown's Painted Chill Grill: HOW TO MAKEUP. YouTube. February 26, 2019. Retrieved August 30, 2019.
  41. NINA'S RPDR SEASON 11 RAWVIEW EP 1. YouTube. March 2, 2019. Retrieved August 30, 2019.
  42. Nina Bo'nina Brown on Her Unique Drag & Flavor of Love’s Pumkin (S3 E6 Finale) | Brunch With Tiffany. VH1. February 18, 2020. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
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