RuPaul's Drag Race alum Shangela has been hit with some pretty serious sexual assault allegations, after a former production assistant that worked on the HBO docuseries We're Here accused the performer of rape.
According to The LA Times Daniel McGarrigle reportedly filed the lawsuit on Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court against the drag star, whose real name is Darius Jeremy Pierce.
McGarrigle is seeking unspecified damages for sexual assault, sexual harassment, gender violence, false imprisonment and negligence.
McGarrigle, 39, also accused Pierce, 42, of violating the Ralph Act, which forbids hate violence as well as intimidation by threats of violence under California law.
Speaking exclusively to People, Shangela hit back at the allegations, saying the following: "I can't begin to explain how hurt and disgusted I am by these totally untrue allegations. They are personally offensive and perpetuate damaging stereotypes that are harmful not only to me but also to my entire community. An external investigation into this embittered individual's claims previously concluded that they were completely without merit. This newest filing is nothing but an attempt to shake down both me and a well-regarded television company. No one should be fooled: it has no basis in fact or in law, and it will not succeed."
"As a hardworking and outspoken drag entertainer for more than a decade, I know that I am far from alone in battling ignorance, bigotry and prejudice, all of which played a role in the filing of this complaint. That is why I will fight this entirely meritless lawsuit and not allow it to destroy me and those I love, or harm the causes we all stand for," Pierce added.
Cast and crew gathered at El Toro, a restaurant and bar in Ruston, Louisiana, to celebrate the final day of production for the fifth episode of Season 1, the documents state.
According to the docs, McGarrigle is claiming that Pierce sexually assaulted him while season one of HBO's reality series We're Here was in production in 2020. While the cast and crew celebrated the first season's wrap, McGarrigle claimed that Pierce was "heavily flirtatious" with him and "insisted on buying him drinks," despite being informed that McGarrigle "did not drink often."
After downing the multiple alcoholic beverages and shots Pierce allegedly bought for him and members of the crew, McGarrigle followed the entertainer to his hotel room to help him pack for an early morning flight.
But when McGarrigle began to feel nauseus from too much drinking, 'Pierce rubbed his back as he [McGarrigle] vomited and brought him a cup of water. After McGarrigle had finished throwing up, Pierce suggested he spend the night with him in his room until he felt better.
"Sick and exhausted, McGarrigle agreed. He laid down in Pierce's bed fully clothed, shoes and socks still on," the suit reads.
McGarrigle allegedly woke up to Pierce attempting to sexually assault him, claiming the entertainer "overpowered" him amid his "weak" state of inebriation. He also claimed Pierce had poured poppers on his face, burning his eyes and nose.
For those of you who don't know, poppers is a drug sometimes inhaled by gay men before engaging in anal sex.
McGarrigle revealed in the documents that he failed to immediately report the incident out of fear of losing his job. He instead "tried to maintain a cordial relationship" with DJ, despite having to frequently deal with Pierce's alleged "inappropriate" behaviors.
"McGarrigle suffered, and will continue to suffer, economic and non-economic damages, including medical expenses, lost wages, lost earning capacity and general damages, including, but not limited to, emotional distress and mental suffering," the lawsuit argues.
A spokesperson for We're Here issued the following statement regarding the lawsuit: "Buckingham Television, the production company for 'We're Here,' received a complaint late summer 2021 regarding an incident that was alleged to have occurred in early 2020. Buckingham and HBO take the safety and well-being of personnel on our shows very seriously, and Buckingham immediately launched an investigation. The investigation concluded that there was insufficient evidence to support these allegations."
Before the lawsuit became public, I have been speaking to Daniel about conducting an interview after I was the only blogger who spoke about the allegations when Daniel first mentioned it on his Instagram back in December.
As of this writing I'm waiting to hear back from him in regards to an exclusive interview. I will keep you all abrest of this story as it develops.
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