You see them on a red carpet once every three years, and it’s always a bit of a shock. RuPaul, a man who basically invented modern glamour, standing next to a guy who looks like he just stepped off a rugged mountain range in the 1800s. That’s Georges LeBar. He is 6’7”. That’s massive. RuPaul is 6’4”, so for him to look "short" next to anyone is a feat in itself.
Honestly, most people think RuPaul’s husband is just some mysterious rancher he stashed away in Wyoming. It’s way more complicated than that. They’ve been together since 1994. Think about that. Most Hollywood marriages don’t last through a single press tour, but these two have been a unit for over three decades.
The Night at Limelight: 1994
They met on the dance floor. It was the Limelight disco in New York City, right at 6th Avenue and 21st Street. It was Georges' 21st birthday. RuPaul saw this giant man "dancing like a maniac" and knew he had to talk to him.
He didn't just walk up and say hello. RuPaul literally asked if he could put his arms around Georges' shoulders. Why? Because Ru is so tall he’s never been able to do that with anyone else.
It wasn't a slow burn. Within a week, they were flying across Europe on Elton John’s private jet. RuPaul has called it "pure magic." There was a 13-year age gap—Ru was 34, Georges was 21—but it didn't seem to matter. They just clicked.
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He Isn't Just a "Rancher"
The media loves the "cowboy" narrative. It's easy. It's a contrast. But Georges LeBar is actually an incredibly accomplished artist. Before he was managing 60,000 acres, he was studying fashion and design in Paris, New York, and Miami.
He’s a painter. An oil painter, specifically. His work is actually pretty deep—he has a collection called "Sitting on a Secret" which features portraits of RuPaul. He also published a book called Pillowtalk that mixes his paintings with poetry.
He inherited the ranch. It’s called the LeBar Ranch, located mostly in Wyoming but spilling over into South Dakota. It’s been in his family for over 100 years. His grandfather ran sheep and cattle there, but Georges doesn't really "ranch" in the traditional sense. He manages the land.
The Reality of the Wyoming Ranch
RuPaul is very open about the fact that he finds Wyoming boring. He’s said it’s "the most isolated place on Earth." When he goes there, he basically just reads books and watches movies. He does dress up in "fabulous Westernwear," though. You can take the queen out of the city, but you can’t take the costume out of the queen.
Then there’s the "fracking" controversy.
In 2020, RuPaul mentioned on NPR that they lease mineral rights and sell water to oil companies. People went wild. Environmentalists were furious. But the reality in Wyoming is pretty grim: if you don’t own 100% of the mineral rights under your land (and most ranchers don’t), you can’t actually stop oil companies from coming in. It’s a legal mess that most celebrity gossip sites ignored for the sake of a "RuPaul is destroying the Earth" headline.
Why They Finally Got Married
For 23 years, they didn't care about a piece of paper. They were devoted, and that was enough. But then the 2016 election happened.
RuPaul told Entertainment Tonight that the political shift in Washington made them rethink things. They were worried about rights being rolled back. So, in January 2017—on the anniversary of the night they met at Limelight—they tied the knot in a secret ceremony.
The "Open" Secret
They don't do "traditional." RuPaul has been very blunt about this: "There’s no such thing as monogamy with men." They have an open relationship.
They also spend a lot of time apart. Georges is usually on the ranch or in his studio; Ru is in Hollywood or filming in the UK or Australia. They see each other about once every three weeks. It sounds crazy to some, but for them, it’s the only way it works. RuPaul has said there isn’t a person on the planet he likes being around more than Georges.
They don't have kids. They don't want them. They have a formula that works, and it involves a lot of space, a lot of trust, and a lot of height.
What You Can Learn From Their Relationship:
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- Define your own rules. RuPaul and Georges didn't wait for society to tell them how to be a couple. They waited 23 years to marry because they only did it when it served their needs, not a social expectation.
- Privacy is a choice. You don't see Georges on Drag Race for a reason. He has zero interest in show business. Keeping parts of your life private can actually protect the relationship from the "fame" rot.
- Independence is key. Being able to spend weeks apart and have separate lives (one in Hollywood, one on a 60,000-acre ranch) requires a level of security most people never find.
If you want to see Georges' artistic side, you should look up his "Six Inches Away" collection. It gives you a much better window into who he is than any paparazzi photo ever will.
Next, you can look into how RuPaul's "land management" in Wyoming actually works legally if you're curious about the fracking debate, or check out the guest list of the 2017 Time 100 Gala to see one of the rare times the couple appeared together in full force.