Exclusive
Missouri's First Male Homecoming Queen Speaks Out About Hateful Criticism Following His Viral Moment (Exclusive)

Zachary Willmore, now 22, tells PEOPLE he received death threats after his crowning moment went viral in 2021

By Zoey Lyttle Published on October 28, 2025 06:00AM EDT

NEED TO KNOW
• In 2021, Zachary Willmore made history as the first male student to be crowned homecoming queen in the state of Missouri
• His win recently resurfaced in the media four years later, reminding Willmore of some of the hateful criticism he received after the viral moment
-• The influencer, now 22, spoke to PEOPLE about the experience and clarified one of the biggest misconceptions he's noticed in the discourse surrounding his homecoming queen crowning

Zachary Willmore made history and national headlines in October 2021, when he was crowned homecoming queen in front of his fellow Rock Bridge High School classmates, faculty members and several news outlets. Willmore wasn't just his school's first male student to earn the title — he was also the first man to ever hold such a title in the state of Missouri.

{snip}