“My beautiful sister, you are not in pain anymore,” wrote “Drag Race” icon Cynthia Lee Fontaine in an online tribute.

*RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under *season 1 queen Maxi Shield dies at 51

"My beautiful sister, you are not in pain anymore," wrote "Drag Race" icon Cynthia Lee Fontaine in an online tribute.

Joey Nolfi is a senior writer at *. *Since 2016, his work at EW includes *RuPaul's Drag Race* video interviews, Oscars predictions, and more.

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February 23, 2026 9:44 a.m. ET

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'RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under' season 1 queen Maxi Shield. Credit:

World of Wonder

*RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under* season 1 queen, actor, and activist Maxi Shield has died at age 51, ** has confirmed.

A source close to the situation confirmed the news to EW after a Monday morning social media post by Universal Sydney, one of the Australian city's premier LGBT nightlife venues where Maxi regularly worked, announced that it was "shocked and deeply saddened by the news of our beloved Maxi Shield's passing."

A cause of death was not reported in the post, made by the venue's licensee, Dillon Shaw, though Maxi announced last September that she'd been diagnosed with throat cancer.

'RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under' season 1 star Maxi Shield in 2024.

Don Arnold/WireImage

Shaw added that "there has never been a time I can remember when Maxi wasn't an iconic presence" on the local scene, and that her work included more than performing, but also "touching hearts not only across the country but around the world through her appearance on *Drag Race Down Under" *in 2021.****"Maxi was a big personality with a heart of gold. I’m heartbroken that the world won’t get to see this legend light up a stage again, and that I won’t get to share another giggle over lunch with my friend," Shaw continued. "Her love, her humour, and her impact live on through the incredible Sydney talent she directly influenced, and through the scene she helped shape with such passion. She was a force. She was brilliant. And I will miss my friend dearly."

*Drag Race Down Under* head judge Michelle Visage (who took over for RuPaul after season 3 in 2024) also paid tribute to Maxi online, writing, "I loved this queen. A glorious human on the inside and out. Your love, heart, talent and energy will be missed…. @maxishield rest in power, my angel, you were truly one of a kind."

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After taking a break from the drag scene, Maxi reportedly performed her first public drag gig in months in early February.

EW has reached out to representatives for Universal Sydney and *Drag Race Down Under* production company World of Wonder for more information.

Fellow *Drag Race Down Under* alum Kween Kong replied under the post with a message as well, writing "RIP AUNTY" alongside a pair of crying emojis, while *Down Under* season 2 winner Spankie Jackzon also commented with a series of emotional emojis under the message.

Cynthia Lee Fontaine, a* *cancer survivor and* RuPaul's Drag Race* icon who competed on three different seasons of the American edition of the show, also paid tribute Maxi on social media.**

The *All Stars 10* queen recalled in her post meeting Maxi at the DragCon event in 2022, where she said Maxi offered continuous support amid Cynthia's health struggles with hip replacement surgery.

"After, [there] was not a single day you never forget to message me and keep me motivated with funny stories and videos on my DM’s," Cynthia wrote. "Then last Year it was my turn to support you . But now my Beautiful sister , you are not in pain anymore… I will always love you and for me you are a warrior!!! Please join Our sisters … Shante you stay in my heart for ever."

In addition to her run on *Drag Race Down Under* season 1, on which she finished in 6th place, Maxi appeared as the lead character in the 2023 comedy film* The Winner Takes It All. *

She* *and *Drag Race Down Under* runner-up Hannah Conda also attempted to set a world record in 2020, as they both led the charge to destigmatize drag artistry by leading what they hoped would become "the largest Drag Queen Story Time event" in history, per local news.

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Source: “EW RuPaul”