Drag Race alumni Shangela (also known as Darius Jeremy Pierce) has been accused of multiple sexual assaults in a new investigation.
Content warning: This article contains discussion of sexual assault allegations, which some people may find triggering.
Four people have come forward to allege that the actor and drag performer either sexually assaulted or attempted to sexually assault them at a time when they were too intoxicated to provide consent, according to a new report in Rolling Stone.
A fifth person has alleged that Shangela attempted anal penetration after rejecting his advances.
The incidents are said to have occurred between 2012 and 2018 in Louisiana, Texas, California and the UK.
Shangela has denied the allegations.
In a legal letter shared with Rolling Stone, Shangela, through his attorney Andrew Brettler, called the allegations “false and unsupported by any evidence or reliable witness testimony,” and has “adamantly” denied “ever engaging in non-consensual sex.”
He continued to claim that there were “significant problems with purported accusers’ accounts.”
Pierce has confirmed that he met with four of the sources on the dates of the alleged assaults, but said that he does not remember the fifth.
All accusers identify as queer and shared their fear of coming forward given the recent surge in anti-trans and anti-drag laws in the US, but shared that they want Shangela to be held accountable for the events they detailed.
One of the accusers said that they filed police reports against Pierce after they read articles in the Los Angeles Times that “indicated Pierce was suspected of conducting similar sex crimes with other victims.”
The 16-month-long investigation was based on court documents, interviews and extensive research.
It concluded that neither Drag Race or its host RuPaul have any implications in the allegations against Shangela.
The new allegations follow a previous allegation of rape made by a production assistant on We’re Here in May last year, though all parties are said to have reached a settlement in February and the case was dismissed.
GAY TIMES has reached out to Brettler for comment.
Galop, the UK’s leading anti-LGBTQ+ abuse charity, launched the UK’s first helpline dedicated to supporting members of the community affected by sexual violence and abuse.
Galop’s Rape and Sexual Abuse Helpline is available Monday – Thursday from 10am – 8:30pm and Friday from 10am – 4:30pm. Contact the Helpline by phone on 0800 999 5428 or via email help@galop.org.uk.
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