RuPaul’s Drag Race star Darius Jeremy “DJ” Pierce, aka Shangela, has been accused of rape. Daniel McGarrigle, a former production assistant on HBO’s We’re Here has filed a lawsuit against the drag queen claiming that he assaulted him during the filming of the first season of the show in 2020.
The lawsuit was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Wednesday. McGarrigle is seeking undisclosed damages from Pierce and Buckingham Television, the production company behind the series. The drag queen, on the other hand, has denied the allegations.
Shangela Accused of Rape by HBO Production Assistant
McGarrigle, 39, stated that the incident occurred after a party in a hotel room in Monroe, Louisiana in February 2020. He claims after a few rounds of drinking, he was asked by Pierce to join him in his room to help him pack for his early morning flight. McGarrigle was not feeling well and Pierce asked him to stay in his room until he felt better.
The complaint says that when he woke up in the evening, he found his pants had been pulled down. McGarrigle claims he ‘felt Pierce on the lower half of his body, rubbing his penis against his buttocks, attempting to insert himself into his anus.’
He tried to resist, but felt ‘extremely weak.’ the production assistant ‘did not immediately report the sexual assault to the authorities or to Buckingham TV’ as he was scared of losing his job. He eventually resigned from the post in 2021.
McGarrigle is now seeking damages for ‘past and future medical expenses, past and future lost earnings and earning capacity, pain, suffering, emotional distress, mental anguish, and embarrassment.’
Shangela Denies Allegations
Following the lawsuit, Pierce released a statement denying the allegations. The 42-year-old reality star said, “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. 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,” he continued.
HBO Releases Statement
Producers Buckingham Television and HBO have revealed that they did receive a complaint regarding the incident in the summer of 2021. “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.”
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