RuPaul’s Drag Race UK star Pixie Polite has revealed she was hospitalised following an alleged homophobic assault in London.
The drag performer, who rose to prominence on season four of Drag Race UK in 2022, shared details of the incident via her Instagram Stories, stating she was attacked in a Tesco store in Colliers Wood, south-west London, on 28 July.
“Just got assaulted in Tesco at Colliers Wood. Punched in the back of the neck/head. Sick of this sh*t,” she wrote.
‘Verbal Mocking Turned Violent’
Pixie elaborated on the incident, saying what began as mocking and verbal abuse quickly escalated into a physical attack.
“Main point is I’m ok, police were surprisingly great. An incident that evolved from general comments and mocking, into verbal homophobic abuse, then into violence.”
She added that the assault was captured on CCTV, with witnesses present, and she also managed to photograph the attacker.
“Mentally fine but heading to hospital with suspected concussion. But overall soooo fine.”
Medical Update and Ongoing Support
In the early hours of 29 July, Pixie confirmed she had been treated at a local A&E centre for a general head injury. Doctors confirmed no concussion, though she was advised to monitor her symptoms in the days ahead.
Later that morning, she updated followers:
“Feeling a little groggy today, and have taken the day off to rest and process what happened.
Overall I’m pretty much fine but I am feeling the same sense of righteous indignation I felt last night.”
She thanked fans for the outpouring of support, posting:
“Majorly appreciate everyone’s concern and blown away by the amount of messages I have received.”
Pixie previously made headlines in August 2023, after a man allegedly threatened to stab her with a whisky bottle in Kennington, also in south London.
Police Investigating as Hate Crime
The Metropolitan Police Service confirmed the incident is under investigation and is being treated as a hate crime.
“At 18:10hrs on Monday, 28 July officers responded to reports of assault and verbal abuse inside a shop on High Street Colliers Wood, Merton.
Police spoke with one victim, a person in their 30s. An investigation has been launched and the incident is being treated as a hate crime.”
Hate Crime Rates Declining – But Attacks Persist
The attack on Pixie comes amid reports that homophobic hate crime has declined by nearly 19% in London over the past year, with the Metropolitan Police Service recording just over 3,000 such incidents between June 2024 and June 2025.
However, attacks on the capital’s transport network have surged, with a 34% increase in homophobic incidents reported between 2022–2023 and 2023–2024.
Nationally, hate crimes linked to sexual orientation have dropped by 8.5%, but incidents continue to affect high-profile LGBTQ+ figures.
In the past year alone, I Kissed A Boy star Dan Harry, performance artist Linus Karp, and Drag Race UK winner The Vivienne have all reported being targets of anti-LGBTQ+ attacks. The Vivienne’s assailant received a suspended sentence in early 2024 following an incident at a McDonald’s in Liverpool.
