Coco Montrese

Coco Montrese (born July 2, 1974) is the stage name of Lenwood Martin Cooper, an American drag queen, entertainer, and reality television personality. Montrese came into the spotlight after being crowned Miss Gay America 2010 when Alyssa Edwards' title was revoked. She subsequently appeared on the fifth season of RuPaul's Drag Race as well as the second season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars.

Montrese was born on July 2, 1974, in Miami, Florida. She grew up in a "very religious home" as the child of a Pentecostal pastor. Montrese studied theater and education at Alabama State University.

Montrese became interested in drag around age 19 or 20 and was named by her drag mother Mokha Montrese. She entered pageantry, eventually becoming runner up in the 2010 Miss Gay America pageant. The titleholder, Alyssa Edwards, was stripped of her crown for conflicting business dealings. On February 27, 2010, Montrese was then crowned as Miss Gay America 2010.

Before appearing on RuPaul's Drag Race, Montrese worked at Walt Disney World for 11 years as an entertainer for the Fantasmic show. Working there allowed her to be able to work during the day and do drag during the evenings. She then moved to Las Vegas, where she appeared in a number of shows as a Janet Jackson impersonator.

Montrese applied just once for RuPaul's Drag Race and was accepted for their fifth season as one of fourteen contestants. The series aired during January–May 6, 2013. During the show, Montrese was criticized for her orange makeup, which inspired many internet memes. She was placed in the bottom four times, eventually sending her "arch rival" Alyssa Edwards home during their lipsync. Montrese ended up being sent home by Detox Icunt the next week, garnering a fifth-place finish.

Montrese was chosen to appear on the second season of RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars, which premiered August 25, 2016. Montrese was the first contestant cut from the show, being eliminated by Roxxxy Andrews.

At the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards, Montrese dressed up as a 1999 Lil' Kim with a purple mermaid-inspired jumpsuit.

Montrese's drag daughter is Las Vegas queen Kahanna Montrese, a contestant on season 11 of Drag Race.