Orion Story fought a private battle on Drag Race, but still went out 'looking hot as hell'

Orion Story went out in true, literal Orion Story fashion: dressed like a "hot slut."

After bumping up her breasts while sporting a divine bunny-themed runway number (which arguably marked her sexiest strut down the runway yet), the Michigan queen's admittedly elevated ensemble wasn't enough to save her from what the judges called a subpar performance in this week's comedy acting challenge, and she became the fourth queen to exit RuPaul's Drag Race on Friday night's episode.

But, as the queen tells EW in her exit interview, there was a (very serious) reason for her muted approach to the episode, as she was bravely fighting a personal battle behind the scenes.

"I was overwhelmed. I was finally dealing with everything in my life that I was numbing myself from for so long," she explains. "When I left for Drag Race, that day was the last time that I did any drugs or anything. I quit all that s---. I went there and I was going through withdrawals. I was finally like, oh, s---, this is not where I should be right now [mentally], dealing with this stuff. I tried to not let it get to me, but I did. You can't really get away from that."

Read on for our full conversation with Orion, in which she speaks on what it was like going up against Jorgeous — the dancing diva — in the lip-sync, her morale on the Drag Race set, and how the show ultimately saved her life from homelessness and substance abuse. Check out the full Q&A below, and tune in to the next new episode of RuPaul's Drag Race season 14 Friday at 8 p.m. on VH1.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: I'm so sorry to see you go. Have you processed it appropriately?

ORION STORY: I don't know, honestly. I'm good, I'm still processing it. This episode was a blur for me.

On Quick Drag, you revealed there was a lot going on in your life during filming, like grappling with homelessness and substance abuse, and many fans didn't know that when the season started. I hope you're proud of what you accomplished.

Definitely. When I got off the show, I was beating myself up, like I let myself down and everyone around me down. I felt defeated. Watching the show back, I see where I went wrong and what I need to work on. It's been a self-reflective moment, especially watching it back.

It seemed like something shifted this episode. When Ru spoke to you in the Werk Room, you seemed a little down. Were you?

Yeah. I remember it being rough. I remember waking up that morning a wreck. It wasn't the show or the competition; I was finally starting to process things I'd bottled up for so long, and it got to me. I wish I was able to express to everybody what I felt in that moment, but I wanted to put on a persona of everything being fine, so I kept it to myself.

If you're comfortable sharing, what were you processing?

I was overwhelmed. I was finally dealing with everything in my life that I was numbing myself from for so long. When I left for Drag Race, that day was the last time that I did any drugs or anything. I quit all that s---. I went there and I was going through withdrawals. I was finally like, oh, s---, this is not where I should be right now [mentally], dealing with this stuff. I tried to not let it get to me, but I did. You can't really get away from that.

It can't be easy to talk about and I commend you for being open. You said before you feel like you're in a better place, so this might helps others going through the same.

Absolutely, and just because I wasn't capable of talking about it then, I can now. It's important for me. Part of my growing experience in life is to not have any secrets, I'm pretty open about everything now. It's important to talk about everything.

I imagine it's liberating. Back to this episode, it was interesting because, clearly with Sue in the talent show, you're a fan of doing characters, but in this challenge the judges' critiques were centered around the commitment to a character. Were the negative critiques a surprise?

I think I set myself up a bit. I changed my script and all my lines at the last second. I just wasn't really prepared. It's not that I gave up, I just wasn't able to be in the competitive spirit that I normally am, so I think I just didn't care. It sucks, because I look back at it now like, s---, I wish I could go back and slap myself in the face, but you can only do what you think is right in the moment.

We have to talk about the lip-sync. Jorgeous didn't hold back. Was there a part of you that was intimidated, and did that impact your performance?

I wouldn't say that I was intimidated, but I saw her practicing in the Werk Room and I thought, I think I'm going home today. I told Jorgeous, "you're going to win this." I was at a point where I thought it was my time. I don't think I would've felt right sending Jorgeous home, because I think in that moment, she had more to offer than I did.

So, you're saying you didn't kick off your shoes on purpose, knowing that's what got June sent home?

[Laughs] I didn't kick them off intentionally, they fell off! That costume was not made to perform in. I was a little drunk from Untucked. I remember small bits and pieces from the lip-syncs, because you go on autopilot . Stuff was falling off and I had to keep going.

The wig didn't fall off! The look was good.

She almost did. They kept telling me that my looks were too much or that I was doing too much, but I'm not going to tone this look down. I was true to who I am. On the first episode, I stayed true to myself coming out in the fun mushroom look, and they told me they wanted more glam, so I fed into that in the next few episodes. I got to a point where I didn't care and I was going to be myself, and it's probably one of my favorite looks.

I wouldn't have Orion Story going out any other way other than looking like a hot Easter Bunny slut.

Oh my gosh, when I came out, I was like, nobody can tell me anything, my body looks so hot right now, no matter what happens, I'm going out looking hot as hell.

What was the inspiration? I got Elle Woods' bunny from Legally Blonde.

I don't really know what the inspiration for that was. I had the pieces — the bunny ears, the bra I already made, that was an old piece to a fembot costume, my bunny tail was an earmuff. I put it together with what I had already. That's what I came up with. I wasn't thinking about anything. I just kind of improvised it [in the Werk Room]. I let it tell me the story and come to life on its own.

Who were you going to do for Snatch Game if you stayed?

I want to keep it a secret, but I have something fun planned for that episode. I will give a little hint: it is a Real Housewife.

What's next for you?

I want to get into YouTube, TikTok, I have fun videos planned, maybe eventually I'll write a book or something.

What will your book be about?

It'll be a mix between a self-help cookbook with some little newspaper cartoon clippings of workout tutorials. I don't know!

Subscribe to EW's BINGE podcast for full recaps of RuPaul's Drag Race, including weekly season 14 recaps with the cast, adapted from our new Quick Drag series airing Fridays at 10:05 p.m. ET / 7:05 p.m. PT on the @EW Twitter account.

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