#MeToo comes to drag?
The drag star Shangela is being sued by a former production assistant on the hit HBO show We’re Here who alleges that he raped him after a wrap party in 2020.
Shangela, whose real name is Darius Jeremy “DJ” Pierce, became a celebrity following a stint on the second season of Ru Paul’s Drag Race. Shangela also appeared last season on “Dancing with the Stars.”
Daniel McGarrigle filed a civil suit in Los Angeles alleging the rape occurred after the end of the hit show’s 2020 season. McGarrigle says that Pierce lured him up to his hotel room, plied him with alcohol, and then raped him.
“[The accusations] are personally offensive and perpetuate damaging stereotypes that are harmful not only to me but also to my entire community,” Pierce, 41, told the Daily News in a statement. He also vowed to fight “this entirely meritless suit.”
Hiding behind other drag performers isn’t much of a defense. And no one cares if they’re stereotypes or not. All anyone wants to know is, did you do it?
“An external investigation into this embittered individual’s claims previously concluded that they were completely without merit,” Pierce told the Daily News, calling the lawsuit “nothing but an attempt to shake down both me and a well-regarded television company.”
That’s not entirely accurate. In fact, it’s downright disingenuous.
A representative for the series said in the summer of 2021 the company received a complaint about an incident that had allegedly happened in early 2020.
“Buckingham [Television, which produces ‘We’re Here’] and HBO take the safety and well-being of personnel on our shows very seriously, and Buckingham immediately launched an investigation,” the rep said. “The investigation concluded that there was insufficient evidence to support these allegations.”
The civil lawsuit also names Buckingham for failing to “take all reasonable steps to prevent harassment and discrimination based on McGarrigle’s sex and gender.”
“Insufficient evidence to support the allegations” is a long way from “completely without merit.” I hope Mr. Peirce has a good lawyer.
He’s already got a good PR person.
“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,” Pierce said. “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.”
Is being a drag entertainer actually “work”? But again, raping someone has nothing to do with “battling ignorance, bigotry, and prejudice.”
So, at least Pierce is a courageous rapist. He’s battling ignorance, bigotry, and prejudice because McGairrigle didn’t understand that he was actually standing up for drag queens everywhere while he was being raped.
Do they see the hypocrisy? Not likely.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member