RuPaul’s Drag Race star Shangela is accused of RAPING production assistant on HBO show We’re Here after drunken crew party and telling him: ‘I know you want it,’ when ‘victim’ screamed: ‘No!’
- Daniel McGarrigle is seeking unspecified damages over the alleged attack
- The incident is alleged to have happened in a Louisiana hotel room following a crew party
- Shangela, real name Darius Jeremy Pierce, has said the allegations are untrue
RuPaul Drag Race and We’re Here star Shangela has been accused of rape by a former crew member who worked on the HBO series.
The LA Times reported that a lawsuit was filed on Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court against the drag star, real name Darius Jeremy Pierce.
Daniel McGarrigle is seeking unspecified damages for sexual assault, sexual harassment, gender violence, false imprisonment and negligence.
McGarrigle, 39, is also accusing Pierce, 42, of violating the Ralph Act, which forbids hate violence as well as intimidation by threats of violence under California law.
In a statement, Pierce said: ‘I can’t begin to explain how hurt and disgusted I am by these totally untrue allegations.
Pictured: Pierce who said he is ‘disgusted by the ‘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.’
The suit claims Pierce raped McGarrigle in a Louisiana hotel room following a 2020 crew party.
McGarrigle’s lawsuit describes an alleged post-party scene in which an inebriated he fell asleep fully clothed in Pierce’s hotel room.
The suit, which also names ‘We’re Here’ production company Buckingham Television, alleges sexual assault, gender violence, false imprisonment and sexual harassment.
Pictured: Daniel McGarrigle who has accused the drag queen of rape
According to the production company behind ‘We’re Here’, an investigation concluded there was no evidence to support the allegations against Shangela (pictured)
A statement issued on behalf of Buckingham Television and HBO by a representative of the series said: ‘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.’
