RuPaul's Drag Race season 17 winner Onya Nurve — known as Justin Woody out of drag — is no longer playing the lead in the new North American tour of Kinky Boots starting this November, Out can confirm.
When reached out for comment, reps for this production of Kinky Boots shared the following statement:
"On behalf of Kinky Boots on Tour, Justin Woody ("Onya Nurve") is no longer with the company. We are thrilled to share that Omari Collins ("Scarlett D. Von'Du") will step into the role of Lola. We wish Justin well, and we look forward to bringing Kinky Boots to theatres all across the country."
Out has also reached out to Nurve/Woody's PR team.
KinkyBootsMusical.com's page for cast members as of November 17, 2025.KinkyBootsMusical.com
Nurve/Woody was announced to play Lola in this production of Kinky Boots in July, just three months after being crowned America's Next Drag Superstar.
Nurve shared the news in a joyful Instagram post that reads:
"I am BEYOND excited and humbled to announce that I'll be joining the 2025 national tour of Kinky Boots the Musical, as Lola!!!!!!! @kinkybootsontour. Before RuPaul's Drag Race, I wanted to be Lola, and now I get to live out both of my dreams at the same damn time. Truly a full circle moment. So excited to continue to learn, grow, and take in every single thing this new chapter has to offer me. EVERYBODY SAY YEEEAAAAHHHHH!"
Omari Collins — otherwise known as Scarlett D. Von'Du — was originally cast as one of the Angels in this production of Kinky Boots, as evidenced by a social media post shared by Collins in November.
Collins wrote in an Instagram post, "THE BOOTS ARE BACK BABY!!!! I am officially hitting the road with @kinkybootsontour! Catch us in a city near you!!"
Following Nurve/Woody's departure, the actor will now step up to play the lead character.
Rumors about Nurve/Woody's departure from Kinky Boots started with a post from X page @GreenGay over the weekend.
"Anyone know what happened with Onya Nurve on the Kinky Boots tour? She was announced as Lola but the site now lists the understudy, and posts with her were removed. Just asking if she was replaced or if there was an update I missed???"
@GreenGay's post was then re-posted in the r/rupaulsdragrace sub-Reddit and gained even more attention from Drag Race fans.
The thread — "What's going on with Onya Nurve and the Kinky Boots Tour?" — gained over 1,400 upvotes in just a couple of days.
from rupaulsdragrace
It is still unclear what caused Nurve/Woody's departure, but reps for this production have indeed confirmed that Nurve is no longer attached to it.
For more information about this national tour of Kinky Boots, visit KinkyBootsMusical.com.
