Who Is Heklina? How Did She Die?

The death of any celebrity is a shocking and unexpected grief felt around the world. Even if we don’t know them personally, their death often feels like a personal loss. Untimely celebrity deaths hit the general public and fans even harder. Right from Princess Diana’s death in 1997 to Michael Jackson’s death in 2009 and even basketball player Kobe Bryant’s death in 2020, all left people shocked. One such death also sent shockwaves across the entertainment world recently. The untimely death of drag performer Heklina surprised people around the world.

Heklina was a drag performer and drag queen from San Francisco, United States. He was found dead on Monday, April 3 in London where he was supposed to perform in a musical show. His death has caused remorse in the drag community as well as the entertainment fraternity. But who was Heklina and what was his real name? And, how did he die? If you want to know the answers to all of these questions, you are in the right place.

Heklina’s Tragic Death

Heklina, a drag queen from San Francisco, had arrived on British shores to perform a musical parody show named ‘Mommie Queerest’. The show was a musical parody of the film ‘Mommie Dearest’ and the show was headlined by Peaches Christ along with Heklina. The show was supposed to have a two-week run in London.

But before the show’s run could start on April 12th, the main performer Heklina was found dead on Monday, April 3. Her body was discovered by her co-star Peaches Christ who also released a statement grieving the loss of a dear friend. She wrote on her social media, “This morning, in London, England I went to collect my dear friend Heklina, who is costarring with me in a Mommie Queerest show here and found her dead. I do not know the cause of death yet.”

Peaches also wrote, “I am shocked and horrified to bring this news to you. I am living in a real-life nightmare so forgive me if I don’t have all the answers just now. Heklina is not just my best friend, but a beloved icon of our community. I am a mess.” The cause of death is not known as of now but the London police are investigating the death. The death of the performer is being considered as ‘unexpected’ and hence has been examined thoroughly by the police department. The autopsy hasn’t been conducted as of yet.

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About The Drag Queen And Her Last Days

Heklina, whose real name was Stefan Grygelko, was a beloved drag queen, actor, and entrepreneur. He was born in Minneapolis, United States but his mother was from Iceland. Hence, he chose a stage name inspired by the Icelandic volcano Hekla as a tribute to his mother. After Heklina moved to San Francisco, he started a drag show named ‘Mother’. Many celebrities like Charro and Lady Gaga have appeared on the show.

Heklina also co-founded Oasis, in San Francisco, which is one of the finest drag show venues in the country. He was also part of ‘The Golden Girls Live‘ drag show and portrayed the role of Dorothy. The show was based on the TV show Golden Girls starring Betty White and Bea Arthur. In 2022, he performed alongside Peaches Christ in the show ‘Mommie Queerest‘ in Seattle and Palm Springs. After these shows, she was supposed to perform alongside her co-star in Manchester and London in April 2023 for two weeks before his untimely death.

Oasis also released a statement on Heklina’s death. It said, “We are shocked and devastated to learn of the passing of Heklina today. Oasis will be open at 4 pm for drinks, stories, and community if you’d like to come by. Sending love to all.” The Castro Theatre in San Francisco also honored the performer by writing on their marquee, “Rest in power Heklina! 1968-2023.”