Who is Kade Gottmik? Meet first trans male queen on 'RuPaul's Drag Race' who became the highest-paid influencer
'RuPaul's Drag Race' sent shockwaves when it announced it had cast a trans male drag queen for Season 13. It's a first and quite the move. Kade Gottlieb, who now goes by the name Gottmik, has been a household name among the drag community and is now going big with his appearance on the reality TV show.
It has been almost two years since he got his gender-confirming surgery done, a journey that has been documented on Gigi Gorgeous' YouTube Channel. Gottmik and Gigi share a thick friendship, which explains the sensitivity with which Gottmik's transition from F to M has been treated on Gigi's social media.
Gigi got the 'RuPaul's Drag Race' cast member to specially chat about his thoughts on the massive leap he took in the past few years. Even though losing both breasts in the surgery was painful the final results made him feel closer to himself.
Gottmik is a Los Angeles-based makeup artist and at just 24, he has been able to establish himself as a force to reckon with. Even though coming out to his devout Christian family was a challenge, he has always known there was something "different". He would want the "boy toy" and would wear the "boy uniform" as a kid, but these choices that he made were shrugged off as just a phase.
"Society told me I was just a tom-boy, but it wasn’t until I was 18 when I finally got the right group of friends around me that allowed me to be myself and come to terms with the fact that I was transgender," he told Gay Times.
His style is androgynous and loud, which he usually mixes with clown makeup. At this point, his net worth cannot be confirmed, but according to Slotsup research, he is the highest-paid Instagrammer among the queens of this season. Apparently, he gets paid $1,075 per post, which is not surprising given the interesting bucket of content he has on his handle that enjoys over 200,000 followers.
Catch the premiere of 'RuPaul's Drag Race' Season 13 on VH1 on January 1, 2021, at 8/7c. For more information, check your local listings.