RuPaul's Drag Race Season 12 Guest Judges Include Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Whoopi Goldberg

Season 12 of RuPaul's Drag Race kicks off with guest judge Nicki Minaj on February 28.

By Chris Harnick Feb 13, 2020 5:00 PMTags
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Nicki Minaj, Whoopi Goldberg, Rachel Bloom, Jeff Goldblum - RuPaul's Drag RaceMatt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Disney+, David Crotty/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images, Jacopo Raule/WireImage, Karwai Tang/Getty Images, Paul Bruinooge/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images

What do Nicki Minaj, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rachel Bloom and Jeff Goldblum all have in common? They're all going to serve as guest judges on RuPaul's Drag Race season 12.

The Emmy-winning series returns for a season 12 on Friday, Feb. 28 with Nicki Minaj joining RuPaul, Michelle Visage, Ross Mathews and Carson Kressley on the panel. The full list of guest judges this season: Nicki Minaj, Whoopi Goldberg, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Chaka Khan, Robyn, Saturday Night Live veteran Leslie Jones, Normani, Jeff Goldblum, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker's Daisy Ridley, Westworld star Thandie Newton, Olivia Munn, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend star and co-creator Rachel Bloom, Winnie Harlow and Mean Girls stars Daniel Franzese and Jonathan Bennett.

The premiere will air over two Friday nights beginning Friday, Feb. 28 at 8 p.m. on VH1. RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked follows.

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Ranking the Top 20 RuPaul's Drag Race Queens

The return of RuPaul's Drag Race comes on the heels of RuPaul's first time hosting Saturday Night Live and the premiere of his Netflix series AJ & the Queen.

Take a peek at the new trailer above. In it, Ru promises a big twist, AOC makes a contestant emotional and Jones works the runway.

Below, meet the new contestants who will light up the stage, lip-sync for their life or ultimately sashay away until one is crowned the next drag superstar.

Gigi Goode

Gigi Goode, just 21 years old, comes from Los Angeles with a big social media following.

Jackie Cox

New York's Jackie Cox was born in Canada and has an Iranian family background. She loves to write her own shows.

Jaida Essence Hall

Milwaukee's Jaida Essence Hall started out wanting to be a fashion designer and takes that love of design into her stage creations.

Widow Von'Du

Widow Von'Du hails from Kansas City where she lives her life out loud.

Crystal Methyd

Crystal Methyd loves a good quirky fashion. She and her screwball sense of humor come to competition from Springfield, Missouri.

Heidi N Closet

Heidi N Closet comes to the competition from a small country town in North Carolina where she says there's nothing to do but count chickens and cows.

Jan - ELIMINATED

New York's Jan, a musical theater queen and singer, is described as ambitious and driven. 

Brita - ELIMINATED

Brita is a staple in the New York drag scene famous for her lip sync performances.

Aiden Zhane - ELIMINATED

Aiden Zhane hails from rural Acworth, Georgia. A lover of horror films, Marilyn Manson and all sorts of weirdness, these things all inform her spooky persona.

Nicky Doll - ELIMINATED

Nicky Doll, who calls New York her home, is the first French contestant to compete. She's brought her European catwalk from Paris as well as high fashions and charm.

Rock M. Sakura - ELIMINATED

Rock M. Sakura comes to Drag Race from San Francisco and she's a lover of all things pink, anime and manga.

Dahlia Sin - ELIMINATED

Dahlia Sin, originally hailing from Brooklyn, came from the Haus of Aja and now lives in Los Angeles.

Sherry Pie - DiSQUALIFIED