Jasmine Kennedie Admits She’s Glad This Queen Dropped Out Before ‘All Stars 11’ Filming Began

The cast of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 11 almost included one very formidable competitor — and one of the show’s current queens has openly admitted that she is personally relieved the lineup ended up changing before cameras rolled.

In an exclusive interview with Entertainment Weekly, All Stars 11 purple bracket contestant Jasmine Kennedie revealed that Season 13 fan favorite Utica was originally slated to compete on the season alongside her but ultimately had to drop out before filming began. The reason, as Utica confirmed directly to EW, came down to a scheduling conflict — All Stars 11 filming fell immediately after she had wrapped production on Project Runway Season 21, right before that show’s episodes began airing, making the back-to-back commitment impossible to pull off in time.

Utica explained that she had originally been cast as part of a Season 13 pair alongside fellow queen Joey Jay, but when the timeline became unworkable, Sam Star stepped in to take her spot at the last minute. She confirmed she made every effort to find a way to make it happen but ultimately couldn’t bridge the gap between the two productions.

For Kennedie, the news of Utica’s exit was a quiet relief. She was candid with EW about the fact that had Utica competed, her own path through the competition — particularly in the sewing challenges — would have looked very different. Utica’s reputation as an exceptionally skilled seamstress, a talent she demonstrated throughout both Drag Race and all the way to the Project Runway finale, would have made her a formidable rival in exactly the categories where Kennedie found success.

Purple bracket sister Shuga Cain of Season 11 backed that assessment up without hesitation, pointedly noting that Kennedie likely would not have taken the top spot in the season’s first sewing challenge had Utica been in the room.

Despite missing out on competing, Utica expressed nothing but warmth about the situation, telling EW she has been fully enjoying watching the season unfold and supporting her fellow queens from the sidelines.

Utica, who competes on Project Runway under her real name Ethan Mundt, has previously spoken about her desire to return to the Drag Race universe in some capacity — whether as a competitor on a future All Stars season, a guest judge, or a mentor. She finished Season 13 in sixth place and has continued to build her reputation as one of the franchise’s most versatile creative talents.

The crossover between Drag Race and Project Runway has continued beyond this casting story. EW exclusively reported earlier this year that Season 16 alums Plane Jane and Q joined the upcoming season of Project Runway as contestants, further deepening the connection between the two franchises.

RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 11 continues on Fridays on Paramount+.