Auckland-based drag icon and Caluzzi Restaurant co-owner, Kita Mean, will be spending Christmas Day in Middlemore Hospital following botched surgery in Thailand.
December was set to be a triumphant month for RuPaul’s Drag Race Season One winner Kita Mean. She was meant to close out 2022 performing at London’s legendary G.A.Y. nightclub and start 2023 as a guest of honour at DragCon UK.
However due to medical complications from a tummy tuck surgery in Thailand. Kita, who has already been hospitalised for over five weeks, will now spend the festive period in hospital, enduring multiple surgeries to fix the botched job.
“I’ve lost out on thousands of dollars of work and have spent thousands of dollars on prep for DragCon UK,” Kita Mean tells express, “but you know what, I still have to count my blessings.”
“There are many people in the world doing it shit tons worse than a queen that can’t go to a convention laying in a hospital bed. So I try to keep myself in check and keep the perspective.”
Talking from her ward at Middlemore, the Drag Race Down Under Season One winner admits, “it’s hard to stay positive. I’ve gone through moments of feeling absolutely broken especially as the complications were all happening in Thailand. My trip [to Thailand] was supposed to be 15 days and it ended up being five weeks due to the complications.”
However Kita is still displaying the positive, resilient attitude that made her a fan-favourite on Drag Race, definiantly telling express, “I’m determined to get through this!”
Photos | Supplied.
