Vivienne and ex-husband David Paul Ludford’s relationship timeline

Late Drag Race star Vivienne and ex-husband David Paul Ludford had a stormy affair.

Vivienne (real name James Lee Williams) met Ludford on holiday in Gran Canaria, Spain in 2017. The pair hit it off and started dating shortly after. Almost a year after their holiday meeting, Vivienne and Ludford became engaged. They tied the knot in 2019.

After their marriage, Vivienne and Ludford remained by each other’s sides as they pursued their passions. However, after four years of marriage, the pair called it quits amicably.

Two years after their separation, The Vivienne died at the age of 32. The police confirmed it Hi! in January 2025 that “no suspicious circumstances occurred”. drag star death. The cause of death was not revealed at the time. After learning of the death of his ex, Ludford paid tribute to Vivienne.

“When they called me, my heart literally sank!! 🪽💔😔 My heart is broken!!! 😭😭,” Ludford wrote via Instagram at that time. “Never in a million years would I have thought I would ever write something like this about @thevivienne_.”

Keep scrolling to take a look back at the timeline of Vivienne and Ludford’s relationship:

August 2017

Vivienne and Ludford met on holiday in Gran Canaria, Spain. Ludford revealed in January 2025 that he and the drag performer “instantly clicked” and knew they were “going to be together” for a long time.

May 2018

After less than a year of dating, Vivienne and Ludford got engaged. Vivienne later revealed that they were the ones who popped the question in Las Vegas.

“One year ago today I dropped to my (knee) 550 feet above the Las Vegas Strip! @larryedwardslv was the official 😂😂,” they wrote via Instagram in May 2019. “You’re a pain in the butt, but I love you more every day! I love you David ❤️❤️❤️.”

December 2019

The couple tied the knot after dating for almost two years.

December 2020

Vivienne celebrated her first anniversary with Ludford as a married couple with a touching tribute.

“Happy anniversary to my beautiful husband David. I can’t believe it’s been a whole year since our fabulous wedding,” they wrote via Instagram next to throwback photos from their wedding. “You changed my life, you made me so happy and I love you more than ever ❤️❤️❤️❤️.”

January 2022

Ludford and The Vivienne take a special trip as a couple back to the place where they first fell in love.

“So nice to be away! Back to GC where me and David first met,” the reality star wrote alongside an Instagram selfies of a couple on the beach. “Memories around every corner! So beautiful! X.”

October 2022

The couple celebrated the purchase of their first home together.

“We got the keys to our new house today!” Vivienne was describing an Instagram Reel. “Happy for this new chapter Angel @d.ludford!”

April 2023

Vivienne and Ludford have announced they have called it quits after four years of marriage.

“As many have noticed, David and I have been apart recently. We have decided to separate after an amazing 5 and a half years,” The Vivienne wrote in a joint Facebook statement in April 2023 with Ludford. “We’re still very much friends, but sometimes life gets in the way and people drift apart.” We wish each other the best and will always be a part of their lives.”

January 2025

Ludford wrote a moving tribute to Vivienne after their unexpected deaths.

“We’ve literally been through so much and done so much together it’s been a whirlwind and I wouldn’t trade the time we spent together for anything in the world!!!” he wrote “I feel like a tit who is so upset and hurt because we’ve only been fully divorced for a little over a year but we’ve been together for 6 years and we love each other so much and you can’t take that away.”

The wig designer added that he was “so happy” to spend six years with The Vivienne and that they will “always have a place in my heart 💔💔”.

“I will miss you more than people will ever know, good luck angel 🫶🏻🙏🏼🪽,” Ludford concluded.

In a follow-up post, Ludford shared several throwback photos of him and Vivienne during their relationship.

“My heart is literally broken, I feel so out of place, I feel lost, I feel numb 💔😭😔🪽,” he captioned Instagram post. “Fly high angel and shine 🕊️.”