Fourteen-time Emmy winner RuPaul Charles grew up with his mother and three sisters.
Now, the celebrity drag queen is opening up about his upbringing in a new memoir entitled The House of Hidden Meanings.
Who was RuPaul’s mother, Ernestine ‘Toni’ Charles?
RuPaul’s mother was born Ernestine ‘Toni’ Fontenette in Louisianna on July 24, 1927.
Ernestine was a wife and the mother of four children.
She had three daughters, Renetta, Renae, and Rozy, and one son RuPaul Charles.
RuPaul went on to create RuPaul’s Drag Race, a show where a group of drag queens compete in several performances, and its spinoffs.
Renae and Rozy appeared on an episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars.
In 1970, she worked at Planned Parenthood. RuPaul told NPR about her role with the nonprofit in 2020.
He said, “I think she started answering the phones, and then she did move on to counseling. And she was very proud of that job.”
Was Ernestine ‘Toni’ Charles married?
Ernestine ‘Toni’ Charles was married to Irving Andrew Charles in 1958 until their divorce in 1967.
RuPaul also opened up to NPR about how his mother’s job at Planned Parenthood helped her after the divorce.
“And after the divorce in ’67, she sort of sat out in her room for about two years, and then my two older sisters sort of took over running the house,” he told the radio publication.
He continued, “And then in 1970, she got a job, and she got a job at Planned Parenthood. And that was a huge breakthrough for her.”
In 202, RuPaul helped raise $100,000 for the reproductive healthcare organization when he appeared on The Price is Right.
The popular game show matched and donated the value of the prizes won during the episode.
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Where can I buy RuPaul’s memoir, The House of Hidden Meanings?
Celebrity drag queen and television personality RuPaul will release a new memoir, The House of Hidden Meanings.
The creator of the 29-time-Emmy-winning show RuPaul’s Drag Race promises an inside look into his road to stardom.
The memoir will be available for purchase starting March 5, 2024, wherever books are sold.