Coco Montrese is the stage name of 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 Montrese came into the spotlight after being crowned Miss Gay America 2010 when Alyssa Edwards' title was revoked.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 RuPaul's Drag Raceseason 5 as well as.
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. In September 2019, at RuPaul’s DragCon NYC, Montrese was named as one of a rotating cast of a dozen Drag Race queens in RuPaul's Drag Race Live!, a Las Vegas show residency from January to August 2020 at the Flamingo Las Vegas. The show will feature RuPaul’s music and former Drag Race contestants.
, Cooper is married to Alfonzo Hestle. When asked if queer people should support the Black Lives Matter movement, Montrese responded, "I think it’s important the LGBTQ community support all movements that support all people and equality for all. If we don’t start shedding light on these things, younger generations won’t even recognize it. If you don’t bring up the past, you are doomed to repeat it. We’re all fighting for the same thing — they want to be seen as the same as everyone else — so yes, they should support that."
