Updated September 9, 2025 at 10:59 AM.
It’s no surprise to fans of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” Season 17, that the Steel City’s Lydia Butthole Kollins is dating the Black Barbie of Boston, Kori King. In a bizarre twist of television fate, the two lovers had to Lip-Sync For Their Lives against one other.
Ultimately, Lydia sent Kori packing (in more ways than one). After RuPaul declared Butthole the winner, Lydia marched over to Kori and the two embraced one another with a kiss that sent shockwaves all the way from the Las Palmas Sunset Studios in Los Angeles, California, to 5801 Ellsworth Avenue in Pittsburgh, PA, and beyond. It was a passionate Kori King kiss.
The climactic moment didn’t ruin their relationship; their bond only strengthened.
After an off-air conversation, the two romantic partners decided to stay together. They began to make plans to live in the same city. For Kori King, the choice was easy to leave Beantown and move to the Steel City.
King told QBurgh, “It was easy to pick Pittsburgh. Lydia is closer to her friends and family.”
While they live in the same city, they are not yet living together. “Lydia is under a lease, and I need more space. I moved into a place with four bedrooms – for all of my stuff. You know, honey, I need a lot of room,” said King.
King hasn’t had much of an opportunity to see Pittsburgh, because the queens are booked out on tours. Lydia is off to Europe, and both queens go to Europe early in the fall.
Both queens also head to Australia in this fall.
King said, “When I’m here, I stay in my house most of the time. Lydia has shown me around a bit. She likes going to P Town, but when I’m not on the road, I’m mostly here in the house.”
King spends most of the time making content for her YouTube channel and recording Cameos.
King is excited to be living in Pittsburgh, because “Dance Moms” was shot here. King said, “I found out that Abby Lee Miller still lives in Pittsburgh. Meeting Abby is a dream of mine. I hope someone can set up a dinner with Lydia, Abby, and me. Lydia and I were watching an episode together, and Lydia said, ‘Wait, I know that place. It’s 5801, a gay bar here in Pittsburgh,’ I was like ‘No way! I couldn’t believe it.”
King has yet to make it to 5801, where the Dance Moms celebrated Leslie’s departure with shots, lots of shots.
King is forthright, funny, and very candid. The TV star said, “If anyone wants to know anything about me all they have to do is go to my YouTube Channel. I put it all out there on my YouTube.”
King and Kollins are preparing for their trip to Australia, where they will tour several metropolitan cities Down Under for their “Kiss Me Deadly” tour. But America’s Favorite Drag Couple will be in a show in Pittsburgh on October 5. The two queens will be performing with their former Season 17 rival, Suzie Toot, in BUTTTOOTKING.
Tap here for tickets and additional information.
