Mistress Isabelle Brooks
Early life
Mistress Isabelle Brooks was born and raised in Houston, Texas. She discovered drag at around age 14, when she saw GIFs referencing the fourth season of RuPaul's Drag Race on social-media platform Tumblr and friends recommended the show. She started doing drag at age 16, and she concurrently attended high school and cosmetology school.
Career
By the time she was 18 years old, Mistress Isabelle Brooks was performing in drag professionally. In Houston, she was an original cast member at the drag-themed restaurant chain Hamburger Mary's, and has regularly performed at JR's Bar and Grill, where she hosted weekly Drag Race viewing parties, and the nightclub South Beach.
In December 2019, Mistress Isabelle Brooks broke her ankle and due to the COVID-19 pandemic, was forced to rely on wig-styling for income. She has said: "I started hustling and pushing out wigs to queens all over the world. It truly feels like overnight my business skyrocketed, and weirdly enough, one of the darkest moments in my life brought me to exactly where I was supposed to be."
RuPaul's Drag Race
Mistress Isabelle Brooks competed on the fifteenth season of Drag Race, winning one challenge and placing in the top four alongside Anetra, Luxx Noir London, and Sasha Colby. She was the first contestant on the series to represent Houston. According to Mistress Isabelle Brooks, she spent approximately $100,000 on her looks for Drag Race, including $40,000 for the final episode. Many of her looks were created by Houston designers Yahaira DeHill and Gin Martini.
For the Snatch Game challenge, Mistress Isabelle Brooks impersonated comedian Rosie O'Donnell; Joey Nolfi of Entertainment Weekly said her character "seemingly unintentionally" and "self-admittedly devolved into" Abby Lee Miller. Shafaq Patel of Axios complimented Mistress Isabelle Brooks's performance of "Big Girl!" and said she "served Southern sass and her looks were stunning". Sam Byrd of OutSmart called her a "plus-sized diva with a plus-sized attitude to match" who is "not afraid of a little blush and makeup to go with that head-boss stature".
Pride.com's Bernardo Sim called Mistress Isabelle Brooks "one of the funniest" contestants of the season and said she "has been an absolute standout in the cast". He wrote, "Fans have been living for her old-school attitude, impeccable makeup skills and outfits, and undeniable star power." According to Jordan Robledo of Gay Times, Mistress Isabelle Brooks was "inundated with hateful messages targeting her appearance and interactions with her fellow contestants" as the show aired. Her Instagram account was suspended multiple times. Charlie Duncan of PinkNews said Mistress Isabelle Brooks "delivered a blistering takedown to online trolls spreading anti-drag hate". The website's Marcus Wratten described her as the "shadiest" contestant of season 15.
In 2023, Mistress Isabelle Brooks was added to the lineup of drag-show tour Werq the World's shows in North America.
Personal life
Mistress Isabelle Brooks is Mexican American. She uses the pronouns "he/him/his" out of drag and "she/her/hers" in drag. Mistress Isabelle Brooks has described her drag as "big, beautiful and glamorous", and as "over-the-top traditional drag with a modern twist". She also called herself the "heavyweight champ" of season 15. Mistress Isabelle Brooks "adopted" fellow contestants Sugar and Spice as her "drag daughters".
Discography
As a featured artist
Title | Year | Album | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
"One Night Only" (with the cast of RuPaul's Drag Race, season 15) |
2023 | — | |
"Golden Girlfriends (Banjo Bitches)" (with Marcia Marcia Marcia, Luxx Noir London, and Salina EsTitties) |
|||
"Wigloose: The Rusical!" (with the cast of RuPaul's Drag Race, season 15) |
Wigloose: The Rusical! Album | ||
"Blame It on the Edit" (RuPaul ft. Anetra, Luxx Noir London, and Sasha Colby) |
— | ||
"Delusion" | — |
Filmography
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2023 | RuPaul's Drag Race (season 15) | Herself/Contestant | 3rd/4th place | |
RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked |
Web series
Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2023 | Meet the Queens | Herself | Stand-alone special RuPaul's Drag Race (season 15) |
|
EW News Flash | Herself | Guest | ||
BuzzFeed Celeb | Herself | Guest | ||
MTV News | Herself | Guest | ||
Today with Hoda and Jenna | Herself | Guest | ||
Drip or Drop | Herself | Guest | ||
Whatcha Packin' | Herself | Guest | ||
Give It to Me Straight | Herself | Guest | ||
The Pit Stop | Herself | Guest |
Music videos
Year | Title | Artist | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
2023 | "Blame It on the Edit" | RuPaul ft. Luxx Noir London, Sasha Colby & Anetra |
See also
References
- ^ Byrd, Sam (2022-12-30). "Cover Story: Big. Bold. Beautiful". OutSmart. Archived from the original on 2023-01-01. Retrieved 2023-04-14.
- ^ Byrd, Sam (November 2022). "Meet the Heavyweight Champ!". OutSmart. Archived from the original on 2023-04-17. Retrieved 2023-04-17.
- ^ Patel, Shafaq (2023-01-13). "Meet Mistress Isabelle Brooks, Houston's RuPaul queen". Axios. Archived from the original on 2023-04-14. Retrieved 2023-04-14.
- ^ Guerra, Joey. "Houston queen Mistress Isabelle Brooks to host 'Drag Race' viewing parties in Montrose". Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on 2023-01-09. Retrieved 2023-04-14.
- ^ Clark, Conor (2023-03-28). "Mistress Isabelle Brooks reveals "hilarious" unseen Drag Race moment". Gay Times. Archived from the original on 2023-03-28. Retrieved 2023-04-14.
- ^ Duncan, Charlie (2023-03-27). "Mistress Isabelle Brooks shares heartwarming update on teacher's classroom wish list". PinkNews. Archived from the original on 2023-04-12. Retrieved 2023-04-14.
- ^ McKenzie, Zach. "Mistress Isabelle Brooks Is the Bayou City Bombshell". Houstonia Magazine. Archived from the original on 2023-04-10. Retrieved 2023-04-14.
- ^ Guerra, Joey. "'Drag Race' premiere: Mistress Isabelle Brooks gives 'a little taste of Houston, Texas drag'". Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on 2023-01-09. Retrieved 2023-04-14.
- ^ Wratten, Marcus (2023-04-19). "Drag Race season 15 queen sparks furious debate after spending $100,000 on looks". PinkNews. Archived from the original on 2023-05-14. Retrieved 2023-05-17.
- ^ Kiley, Rachel. "Mistress Says She Dropped Six Figures On Her 'Drag Race' Lewks". Pride.com. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
- ^ Gage, Morgan (2023-05-03). "Fashion That's a Drag". OutSmart. Archived from the original on 2023-05-17. Retrieved 2023-05-17.
- ^ Guerra, Joey (2023-04-14). "'Drag Race' finale: Houston queen Mistress Isabelle Brooks reps local designer on the runway". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
- ^ Alonzo, Michelle Konopka (2023-01-26). "RuPaul's Drag Race Season 15 Snatch Game Characters Ranked". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on 2023-01-29. Retrieved 2023-04-14.
- ^ Nolfi, Joey. "See celebrities behind each 'RuPaul's Drag Race' season 15 'Snatch Game' character". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 2023-04-12. Retrieved 2023-04-14.
- ^ Sim, Bernardo. "Mistress Stole A 'Drag Race' Rusical Prop & The Story Is Hilarious". Pride.com. Archived from the original on 2023-04-06. Retrieved 2023-04-14.
- ^ Sim, Bernardo. "Drag Race's Mistress Calls Out Homophobic 'Old Ass Balding White Men'". Pride.com. Archived from the original on 2023-03-07. Retrieved 2023-04-14.
- ^ Robledo, Jordan (2023-02-05). "Drag Race star Mistress Isabelle Brooks slams online trolls: "I get it, you're mad"". Gay Times. Archived from the original on 2023-03-14. Retrieved 2023-04-14.
- ^ Sim, Bernardo. "Mistress Isabelle Brooks' IG Suspended Again, Marcia Calls Out Fans". Pride.com. Archived from the original on 2023-02-28. Retrieved 2023-04-14.
- ^ Nolfi, Joey (January 31, 2023). "'Drag Race' star Mistress slams 'has-been twink' online trolls, reveals how she adopted the twins". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 2023-04-05. Retrieved 2023-04-14.
- ^ Alonzo, Michelle Konopka (2023-02-03). "Why The RPDR Season 15 Queens Keep Getting Banned On Social Media". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on 2023-02-05. Retrieved 2023-04-14.
- ^ Duncan, Charlie (2023-03-02). "Drag Race's Mistress slams 'old ass balding white men' for spreading LGBTQ+ hate". PinkNews. Archived from the original on 2023-03-09. Retrieved 2023-04-14.
- ^ Wratten, Marcus (2023-04-07). "Bob the Drag Queen and Mistress Isabelle Brooks' diss tracks have us in a chokehold". PinkNews. Archived from the original on 2023-04-10. Retrieved 2023-04-14.
- ^ Yates, Jonny (2023-05-16). "Werq The World Tour announces more Drag Race legends for its lineup". PinkNews. Archived from the original on 2023-05-17. Retrieved 2023-05-17.
- ^ Yee, Lawrence (2023-04-14). "'Drag Race': Eliminated Queens Share Their Winner Predictions and Finale Looks". The Wrap. Archived from the original on 2023-04-16. Retrieved 2023-04-16.
- ^ Sim, Bernardo. "Mistress Isabelle Brooks Adopts Sugar & Spice As Her Drag Daughters". Out. Archived from the original on 2023-02-04. Retrieved 2023-04-14.
- ^ Duncan, Charlie (2023-01-16). "Drag Race's Mistress Isabelle Brooks is now drag mother to Sugar and Spice: 'The greatest blessing'". PinkNews. Archived from the original on 2023-04-01. Retrieved 2023-04-14.
- ^ The Cast of RuPaul's Drag Race (January 7, 2023). "One Night Only". Apple Music (US). Archived from the original on February 16, 2023. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
- ^ The Cast of RuPaul's Drag Race (February 4, 2023). "Golden Girlfriends (Banjo Bitches)". Apple Music (US). Archived from the original on February 16, 2023. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
- ^ The Cast of RuPaul's Drag Race (March 18, 2023). "Wigloose: The Rusical!". Apple Music (US). Archived from the original on April 11, 2023. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
- ^ RuPaul (April 1, 2023). "Blame It on the Edit". Apple Music (US). Archived from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
- ^ "Delusion (Mistress Isabelle Brooks) - Single". Apple Music. April 15, 2023. Archived from the original on April 22, 2023. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
- ^ Mitchell, Harriet (December 13, 2022). "RuPaul's Drag Race makes history with cast announcement for season 15". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on March 15, 2023. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
- ^ Meet the Queens of Season 15! 🚘. YouTube. December 13, 2022. Archived from the original on 2023-01-09. Retrieved 2023-01-10.
- ^ 'RuPaul's Drag Race' Season 15 Cast Promise "Unhinged" Drama and Twists Ahead. YouTube. January 6, 2023. Archived from the original on January 10, 2023. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
- ^ Mistress Isabelle Brooks Wants "Delusion" Vax on 'RuPauls Drag Race' | Entertainment Weekly. YouTube. December 20, 2022. Archived from the original on January 4, 2023. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
- ^ The Queens Of "RuPaul's Drag Race 15" Play Who's Who. YouTube. January 10, 2023. Archived from the original on January 11, 2023. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
- ^ 15 Things That Could Use a Touch of Drag w/ RuPaul's Drag Race Season 15 Cast. YouTube. January 12, 2023. Archived from the original on March 16, 2023. Retrieved March 16, 2023.
- ^ The cast of 'Drag Race' season 15 talk life as 'Ru Girls' and give their best impersonations. YouTube. January 28, 2023. Archived from the original on January 11, 2023. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
- ^ RuPaul's Drag Race Queens Rate ICONIC Fits From Other Seasons. YouTube. February 4, 2023. Archived from the original on January 11, 2023. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
- ^ Mistress Isabelle Brooks' Whatcha Packin' 🤠 | S15 TOP 4 | RuPaul's Drag Race Season 15 👠✨. YouTube. April 11, 2023. Archived from the original on January 11, 2023. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
- ^ MISTRESS ISABELLE BROOKS - "Give It to Me Straight" Ep9 - Hosted by Maddy Morphosis. YouTube. May 18, 2023. Retrieved June 3, 2023.
- ^ The Pit Stop AS8 E04 🏁 Bianca Del Rio & Mistress Isabelle Brooks Gather! | RuPaul's Drag Race AS8. YouTube. May 27, 2023. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
- ^ "Blame It On The Edit" ft. Anetra, Luxx Noir London, Mistress Isabelle Brooks & Sasha Colby 🎵. YouTube. Archived from the original on November 23, 2020. Retrieved April 4, 2023.