Jewels Sparkles – 'RuPaul's Drag Race' Breakout Star – Cites Importance of Family, Heritage & Fair Play

The 17th season of "RuPaul's Drag Race" ended with a lipsynch between Onya Nurve, who was presumptive front runner from Episode One, and Jewels Sparkles, the young upstart who was the fan favorite underdog to win. Onya won the challenge and the crown, but it should be noted that both Onya and Jewels could have been eliminated in the Episode 13 Family Makeover episode, but a benevolent Ru let them both stay.

While Onya certainly deserved the crown, Jewels turns out to be the breakout star of the season. Usually, younger queens (Jewels is 23) are eliminated for not having the skills to roll with the punches or develop a winning persona over the grueling competition. Not so with Jules. Over the course of the season, Jewels gained more confidence, learned from her setbacks, developed her quirky, funny and very Latino personality, and won viewers hearts when she made over her dad – renowned Latino chef Douglas Rodriguez, who became "Salchicha Sparkles," a fearless drag queen and a huge fan favorite. As a dad, Rodriguez had long supported Jewels' drag career, but for Jewels, their runway walk was empowering.

"Sharing the stage with [Salchicha] opened my eyes so much about being on 'Drag Race' I was always terrified to walk the runway. It was always one of the more nerve-racking parts, and watching him just go down the runway with no fear and just talking to RuPaul in his glamazonian vibe and fantasy, I was like, 'Why am I so scared of this stage? If my dad can do this and do it with love and do it for me, why can't I do it for me?',"Jewels told Parade Magazine.

Jewels also showed remarkable restraint when, during the Episode 10 "Villains Roast" challenge, she saw a number of her jokes being used by Arrietty, who stole them during the prep session with comic Whitney Cummings. Jewels did not call out Arrietty because she didn't want to escalate the drama, and she joked about how Arrietty did her a favor since the jokes didn't land well anyway. Both queens ended up in the bottom, with Jewels getting her revenge by winning. While fans posted their dislike of Arrietty on social media, Jewels discouraged fans from doing so.

One big turn-around moment came with "The Snatch Game," the celebrity (or not) impersonation challenge that has been the doom of many frontrunners but a big break for those, like Jewels, who were not leading the pack. For the challenge, Jewels chose not to go the celebrity route, but went instead with an original character, Miss Big Feet, whose outrageousness was hilarious. "My first choice was Jennifer Coolidge, but she's been done so many times on the show," she told Parade. "Even though I probably would have been the best one, I decided to steer a little bit away, and I ended up going with something that I could create myself... I want to do more with that character. It was so much fun doing it."

But as the semi-finals approached, many – including Jewels' fellow contestants – thought her elimination was imminent and she would be sashaying away. Four of them said as much, but the criticism didn't faze the resilient Jewels. "Being queer and being gay and being feminine, people are always gonna doubt you, and people are always going to have something to say about you. So I grew up with that. I was always used to that, so it came as no surprise, and it was nothing I couldn't handle. Four little drag queens not believing in me? Girl, I've dealt with way worse. I don't give a f--k. I was very happy to make it to the top two and prove that I don't need anyone's support except my own. I know that I'm the fiercest girl in the room... except Onya. Shout out to her. But you don't need anyone else to tell you that you're fierce. If you know you're fierce, that should come from you first. You shouldn't need the validation of others, if you have your own validation.

"I might not have had the most wins," Jewels continued, "but I definitely felt like I was one of the most consistent and most well-rounded queens there. At the end of the day, RuPaul said my name to be a top-two contender, and that validated my feelings and proves to me that I'm not a delusional crazy woman."

More recently, Jewels spoke to Out Magazine of the importance of her parents' support and her Latino heritage.

"I'm so proud of my dad, as a Latino man, who just loves me unconditionally," Jewels told Out. "And my mother, she's always supported me and always made me feel at home," Jewels added, before saying that she wouldn't have been on the final runway without the support of her parents.

Jewels emphasized how important it was for her dad to take to the stage in drag to show his support. "It doesn't make you less of a man to support your child. It makes you more of a man," Jewels explained. "If you're comfortable with your child being queer and being a drag queen... If that doesn't threaten your masculinity, and you can still say, 'I'm a straight man and my son's a drag queen. Yeah, I'll go on TV to support my son. Yeah, I'll get in drag for the makeover challenge,' that makes you more manly.

"Why don't people understand that?" she continued. "Men who are afraid to be in touch with their femininity... It's like you're hiding something. That looks like you're afraid of something. My dad has nothing to hide. He's a proud straight man who loves his son and would do anything for his children. That is the most masculine thing a man can do. No shade."

During the finale, Jewels, who is of Cuban and Puerto Rican heritage, said she was a "product of immigration" in a moment where that word sparks so much fear in Latinos in America who fear deportation. She explained to Out how she chose to use those words in the finale. "This journey has been very bittersweet. I'm living my dreams on 'Drag Race' as a product of immigration, as proof that people come to this country and create lives that they want for themselves... But while my friends are excited for me, they're also horrified. They're scared of coming home and seeing that their mom isn't there anymore. Or when someone has to pick up their little brother from school and might not make it back home. This is horrifying."

Jewels continued, "It's been bittersweet to be like, 'Hey, look, I'm on 'Drag Race!' Oh my god, look at me go!' as my friends and family are living in constant fear and turmoil. But I want people to know that we can't live in fear. We can't hide. We deserve our place here. We are good people. This country, and government, is trying to villainize us. They make us seem like criminals, like people who are stealing and taking jobs from other people. Just know that there are people who will protect you, and who will speak up for you. We'll get through this as a community, together. We really will."

Check out these pics from Jewels' Instagram: