Former RuPaul’s Drag Race regular Lucian Piane dies aged 46 after he’s ‘hit by car’

Lucian Piane, a producer and songwriter best known for his work on RuPaul’s Drag Race, has died aged 46.

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner recorded that Piane died on Monday (12 October), with online records listing his place of death as “street”.

TMZ reports that law enforcement sources said Piane was hit by a car in Glendale early Monday morning and later died from his injuries. In its

Piane reportedly did not have an ID on him at the time, only a citation, before he was later identified.

The Glendale Fire Department told TMZ that crews worked on Piane and before he was pronounced him dead at the scene.

Concerns for Lucian Piane before his death

Shortly before his death, Piane shared a run of unsettling Instagram videos that seemed to show him largely living on the street, leading concerned followers to ask if he was safe.

It is also reported Piane was taken into custody by Glendale police on Saturday for being under the influence of a controlled substance, and again on Sunday for assault on an officer or emergency personnel. He was reportedly given a citation for both incidents, with a court date set for Monday.

He had previously caused concern in 2021, when he was arrested for drunken intoxication and vandalism of a bank.

Who was Lucian Piane?

Piane was a US music producer and composer who became widely known among Drag Race fans for shaping musical moments and performance tracks tied to the show’s early era.

He was involved in 23 episodes between 2009 and 2012, according to his IMDb page, providing music for challenges and at times joining the judging panel.

Piane also collaborated with RuPaul on the albums Champion (2009), Glamazon (2011) and Born Naked (2014), also co-writing the Drag Race theme tune.

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