UPDATED, 10:30 a.m.: RuPaul’s Drag Race Alum Shangela won a round in court on Wednesday when a judge dismissed two of the charges in a man’s lawsuit accusing him. Was here 2020 Louisiana Rape Co-Host.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge William Fahey dismissed allegations of gender-based violence and civil rights violations against Shangela after hearing arguments last week on a motion by Shangela’s attorneys to dismiss their client over those allegations, as well as sexual assault. , false imprisonment and negligence.
Shangela’s attorneys argued that all five claims were barred by the statute of limitations in both California and Louisiana.
The plaintiff’s attorneys were ordered to file an amended complaint by November 1. Read details about the lawsuit, which also includes sexual harassment and failure to prevent sexual harassment, below.
BEFORE, May 4: Shangela, an actress and ex RuPaul’s Drag Race Participant who is also a co-host The Documentations Was here, is being sued by a former production assistant on the latter show who claims he was raped by the star after a wrap party in February 2020. The actor denies the allegations.
In a detailed nine-page filing in Los Angeles Superior Court (read here), Daniel McGarrigle claims that the actor and drag performer (real name Darius Jeremy “DJ” Pierce) bought him several alcoholic beverages during the meeting at ‘ an LA restaurant. before asking him to return to Pierce’s hotel to help him pack for the next morning’s flight. According to the lawsuit, McGarrigle — who says he “didn’t drink often” — started throwing up at the hotel and Pierce suggested they go to sleep.
According to the civil complaint, at one point McGarrigle woke up and “felt Pierce in the lower half of his body” performing or attempting to perform sexual acts. The prosecutor claims he said “No!” shouted but “felt extremely weak” and said “fear came over him during the attack,” which he said included penetration. According to the lawsuit, Pierce was physically and verbally aggressive and told McGarrigle, “I know you want it and you’re going to take it.”
McGarrigle said he was afraid of losing his job and did not immediately report the incident, instead trying to “maintain a cordial relationship” with Pierce, who had “always been flirtatious and inappropriate towards the plaintiff, who only acted within the limits of his conduct. He claims that Pierce’s “incessant flirting and touching was extremely stressful and interfered with his daily duties” until McGarrigle resigned in July 2021.
In a statement, Pierce strongly denied the allegations.
“I cannot explain how hurt and disgusted I am by these completely untrue allegations,” he said. “They are personally offensive and perpetuate harmful stereotypes that harm not only me, but my entire community,” he said. “An external investigation into this embittered individual’s claims previously found them to be completely unfounded. This latest ad is nothing but an attempt to bring down both me and a respected television company. No one should be fooled: there is no factual or legal basis and it will not be successful.”
Buckingham Television, which produces HBOs Was here, is also named as a defendant in the lawsuit, which alleges “a failure to prevent sexual assault,” along with allegations against Pierce of sexual assault, gender-based violence, false imprisonment and sexual harassment. Represented by Daniel Gilleon of the Gilleon Law Firm in San Diego, McGarrigle is seeking unspecified damages, attorneys’ fees and other relief.
A representative for Was here said in a statement: “Buckingham Television, the production company for Was here, received a complaint in late summer 2021 about an incident that allegedly occurred in early 2020. Buckingham and HBO take the safety and well-being of the staff on our shows very seriously and Buckingham immediately launched an investigation. The investigation concluded that there was insufficient evidence to support these allegations.”
Pierce stars as Shangela and appears in two early seasons of RuPaul’s Drag Race and later in RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars. He has also appeared in numerous other television series including 2 Broke Girls, Glee, Bones, Broad City, Dancing with the Stars And Ward 19, along with the 2018 movies A star is born. A two-time Queerty Award winner, he has also recorded songs and appeared in music videos for Lady Gaga, Cher, Fall Out Boy and others.
Source: Deadline
Joseph Fearn is an entertainment and television aficionado who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a keen eye for what’s hot in the world of TV, Joseph keeps his readers informed about the latest trends and must-see shows.
