Heklina, an iconic San Francisco drag queen, born Stefan Grygelko, was found dead in London Monday, according to a friend who made the grim discovery. Heklina was 54. Fellow drag performer Peaches Christ said she was “shocked and horrified” when she discovered Heklina dead before a performance of their drag show “Mommie Queerest.”
“I am living in a real-life nightmare so forgive me if I don’t have all the answers just now,” Peaches Christ wrote Monday.
According to the veteran drag queen, also known as Joshua Grannell, earlier that morning she went to pick up Heklina, a longtime friend and costar, in London and “found her dead.”
“I do not know the cause of death yet,” Peaches Christ added. “I know this is shocking news and I am beyond stunned, but I wanted to let folks know what has happened.”
Heklina and Peaches Christ were starring together in “Mommy Queerest,” a drag parody based on the 1981 drama “Mommie Dearest.”
Officials with The SoHo Theater in London, where the show was scheduled to have a two-week run, confirmed Heklina’s death, saying it has left everyone associated with the production “in shock and incredibly saddened.”
“Our thoughts are with Peaches and the Mommie Queerest company, Heklina’s family, friends and their wider community at this time,” read a statement released by the venue to Variety.
There was no immediate word on Heklina’s cause or manner of death.
Matt Haney, a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, went on Twitter to mourn Heklina, whom he described as a “drag legend, brilliant performer and trailblazing community icon.”
State Sen. Scott Wiener hailed the late performer “the soul of San Francisco,” adding that “it’s hard to imagine the city without her.”
