You’ve seen the gowns, the Emmy speeches, and the "shantay you stays." But if you try to find a red-carpet photo of RuPaul’s husband, you’re basically looking for a needle in a haystack.
RuPaul and husband Georges LeBar have been together since 1994. That’s longer than some of the Drag Race contestants have been alive.
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It’s a weirdly quiet romance for someone who is arguably the most famous drag queen on the planet. While Ru is out there building a global empire, Georges is usually three states away, probably covered in dirt or paint. They don’t do the "power couple" thing in the way Hollywood expects. No matching outfits on Instagram. No reality show about their domestic life.
The Night at Limelight: How It All Started
They met on the dance floor. It was 1994 at the Limelight, a legendary (and now defunct) New York City nightclub.
It was actually Georges’ 21st birthday. RuPaul, who’s about 6'4", saw this massive guy—6'7" to be exact—dancing like a total "maniac." Ru has said in interviews that he had to go over and talk to him.
Part of it was the height. Ru has joked that he just wanted to be able to put his arms around the shoulders of someone taller than him for once.
Within a week, they were flying on Elton John’s private jet from London to Düsseldorf. Talk about a first-week vibe check.
Why the 23-Year Wait to Marry?
For over two decades, they were just "partners." Marriage wasn't really on the radar until 2017.
They finally tied the knot on January 24, 2017, which was their 23rd anniversary and also Georges’ birthday. Why then? Ru has been pretty blunt about it: it was mostly for tax breaks and the political climate at the time. After the 2016 election, they felt like having legal protections was a "just in case" move.
"I never wanted to do it," Ru told Entertainment Tonight. "We did it for paperwork."
A 60,000-Acre Life in Wyoming
Georges LeBar is an Australian native, but his daily life is pure American West. He manages a massive ranch—over 60,000 acres—that spans the border of Wyoming and South Dakota.
It’s not some hobby farm. It’s huge.
Georges inherited the land from his grandfather, who ran cattle and sheep. Today, Georges is more of a "land manager." He leases grazing rights to other ranchers and, more controversially, leases mineral rights to oil companies.
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If you’ve heard the "RuPaul fracking" memes, this is where they come from. Ru mentioned on NPR that they sell water and mineral rights to oil companies, which led to a lot of heat from environmentalists.
While Ru is filming in Los Angeles or traveling the world, Georges is on that ranch. He’s also a professional painter and has published books of his work, like Six Inches Away and Pillowtalk.
The "Three-Week Rule"
People always ask how they stay together when they live in totally different worlds. Ru stays in Beverly Hills; Georges stays in Douglas, Wyoming.
They usually see each other about every three weeks.
"He works the ranch, I work Hollywood, and we meet up in fabulous places," Ru told Hollywood Today Live. They do monthly getaways to Paris, Maui, or New York. It keeps things fresh. Honestly, maybe having 1,000 miles between you is the secret to a 30-year relationship.
Let’s Talk About the Open Marriage
This is the part that usually makes people lean in. RuPaul has been very open about the fact that they aren't monogamous.
He calls the idea of monogamy with men a "hoax."
In his view, you can’t put shackles on the person you love the most. If Georges is somewhere and sees something he likes, Ru is fine with him going for it. They trust each other completely.
"He and I know that on this planet... the person I have found that I like the very most is him." — RuPaul
It’s a pragmatic approach. They aren't trying to fit into a traditional suburban box. They don't have kids, they don't share a zip code half the year, and they don't police each other's "extracurricular" activities.
The Expert Take: What We Can Learn
If you’re looking at RuPaul and husband Georges as a blueprint, it’s not for everyone. It’s a relationship built on extreme independence.
Most celebrity marriages fail because of the "fame vacuum"—where one person’s career sucks the air out of the room. Georges avoids this by simply not caring about show business. He doesn't go to the parties. He doesn't judge the show. He has his own dirt to move and his own canvases to paint.
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Actionable Insights for Longevity:
- Define your own "success": They didn't marry because they "had to." They did it when it made sense for them legally.
- Prioritize autonomy: Having separate hobbies—or in this case, separate states—prevents the "smothering" effect often found in long-term couples.
- Honesty over optics: They are more worried about their internal trust than how their "open" status looks to the public.
If you want to keep up with them, don't look at the tabloids. Look for the next Drag Race season premiere or a random art gallery opening in Wyoming. They’ll be there, probably 500 miles apart, and totally fine with it.
To dig deeper into the "fracking" controversy or see Georges’ artwork, check out his official site or the 2020 NPR interview transcripts where Ru first broke down their ranch operations.