The mentally ill
2024-04-13 07:40:07 UTC
Darius Jeremy "DJ" Pierce, better known as RuPaul's Drag Race star
Shangela, has been accused of multiple sexual assaults between 2012 to
2018.
Five people have alleged that the RuPaul's Drag Race alum sexually
assaulted them or attempted to have sex with them despite their being too
inebriated to consent over a period of six years in Louisiana, Texas,
California and the United Kingdom, per an investigation by Rolling Stone.
The report comes five days after a lawsuit against Pierce, in which he was
accused of rape and gender violence by former Drag Race production
assistant Daniel McGarrigle, was dismissed with prejudice, according to
documents obtained by PEOPLE.
In a letter sent to Rolling Stone, Pierce's lawyer Andrew Brettler denied
all accusations of sexual assault, calling the allegations false and
unsupported by any evidence or reliable witness testimony." When reached
by PEOPLE, Brettler declined to comment further on the allegations. PEOPLE
also reached out to Pierce's rep but was referred to his attorney.
One of the alleged victims, a 27-year-old man identified only by his first
name, Helmer, claimed that Pierce invited him to dinner in Los Angeles and
ordered him a cocktail when he was 20. Though Helmer informed Pierce he
did not regularly drink that, he told Rolling Stone he continued to drink
the cocktail out of respect for the drag queen and later woke up
"completely naked on a bed and believed to be at Pierces residence.
[Helmer] asked Pierce what happened last night and why he was naked,
read Helmer's apparent complaint to police, obtained by the outlet.
Pierce responded with, We had sex, and there was another guy involved
that you brought in. [Helmer] asked who that other guy was, and Pierce
stated he did not know, but you were really into it.
Helmer later reported the alleged sexual assault to his roommates whom
Rolling Stone spoke with to confirm the account as well as the Los
Angeles Police Department. (PEOPLE reached out to the LAPD for comment but
they were unable to confirm.)
In Brettler's letter to Rolling Stone, he claimed Pierce and Helmer
engaged in consensual sex and that Helmer continued to contact the
television personality in the months following. Brettler also refuted the
incident was reported to police, saying, "No one from law enforcement has
ever contacted Mr. Pierce or his representatives about [Helmers] bogus
claims."
Edward Ramirez, another alleged victim, reportedly told Rolling Stone that
Pierce had sexually assaulted him in a walk-in closet in the bathroom in
2018 after a night out in Texas, where they shared a few drinks.
At the time of the alleged assault, Ramirez, then 21, shared his
allegations on an internet blog dedicated to celebrity pop culture named
ATRL, where he claimed Pierce "shoved me on the floor in a closet and
tried to penetrate me." Ramirez noted that he "probably would've had
consensual sex with him" had Pierce asked, but felt that getting "shoved"
and "thrown on the floor" was "uncomfortable and seemed like an abuse of
power."
Ramirez, now 27, told the outlet that he was "very confident I was clear
with my 'no's'"and declined the drag queen's advances. He also said he did
not report the incident to police because "he distrusted police
authorities in Texas as a Black queer man," according to Rolling Stone.
In response to these claims, Brettler said Ramirez and Pierce were never
alone together, providing three witness statements to dispute Ramirez's
claims.
Checri, a third man who came forward, reportedly claimed that Pierce
attempted anal penetration without his consent in November 2017. The 24-
year-old alleged that Pierce bought rounds of drinks for the group of
people they were with at a nightclub in London. They later returned to
Pierce's hotel room and Checri, then 18, alleged that he was so
intoxicated that he threw up all over the bed. While he was sick, he says,
Pierce attempted to penetrate him.
Checri also told Rolling Stone that he didnt report the alleged incident
to authorities "because of a lack of trust in the police."
In response to these allegations, Brettler asserted that Checri "pursued a
physical relationship" with Pierce and no one was visibly intoxicated, or
impaired to the point that they could not make decisions for themselves."
Brettler said Checri and Pierce "made out" fully clothed before falling
asleep but once Checri became ill, Pierce woke up and encouraged Checri to
go home, to which he obliged.
A fourth accuser named Zachary reportedly recalled a similar experience in
2015 and claimed he was awoken during a state of deep intoxication by
Pierce and another man allegedly attempting to penetrate him forcefully.
After meeting Zachary, then 23, at a meet-and-greet event in New Orleans,
the drag queen allegedly "supplied" him with drinks until he "blacked
out." When he woke up, he claimed he "heard Shangela say, Stick it in
him, and I quickly said No.'"
I am pretty sure that [the unidentified man] didnt do anything, but I
passed out again, so I am not positive," Zachary, now 32, told Rolling
Stone.
https://people.com/rupauls-drag-race-alum-shangela-accused-sexual-assault-
5-people-after-rape-lawsuit-dismissed-8610574
Shangela, has been accused of multiple sexual assaults between 2012 to
2018.
Five people have alleged that the RuPaul's Drag Race alum sexually
assaulted them or attempted to have sex with them despite their being too
inebriated to consent over a period of six years in Louisiana, Texas,
California and the United Kingdom, per an investigation by Rolling Stone.
The report comes five days after a lawsuit against Pierce, in which he was
accused of rape and gender violence by former Drag Race production
assistant Daniel McGarrigle, was dismissed with prejudice, according to
documents obtained by PEOPLE.
In a letter sent to Rolling Stone, Pierce's lawyer Andrew Brettler denied
all accusations of sexual assault, calling the allegations false and
unsupported by any evidence or reliable witness testimony." When reached
by PEOPLE, Brettler declined to comment further on the allegations. PEOPLE
also reached out to Pierce's rep but was referred to his attorney.
One of the alleged victims, a 27-year-old man identified only by his first
name, Helmer, claimed that Pierce invited him to dinner in Los Angeles and
ordered him a cocktail when he was 20. Though Helmer informed Pierce he
did not regularly drink that, he told Rolling Stone he continued to drink
the cocktail out of respect for the drag queen and later woke up
"completely naked on a bed and believed to be at Pierces residence.
[Helmer] asked Pierce what happened last night and why he was naked,
read Helmer's apparent complaint to police, obtained by the outlet.
Pierce responded with, We had sex, and there was another guy involved
that you brought in. [Helmer] asked who that other guy was, and Pierce
stated he did not know, but you were really into it.
Helmer later reported the alleged sexual assault to his roommates whom
Rolling Stone spoke with to confirm the account as well as the Los
Angeles Police Department. (PEOPLE reached out to the LAPD for comment but
they were unable to confirm.)
In Brettler's letter to Rolling Stone, he claimed Pierce and Helmer
engaged in consensual sex and that Helmer continued to contact the
television personality in the months following. Brettler also refuted the
incident was reported to police, saying, "No one from law enforcement has
ever contacted Mr. Pierce or his representatives about [Helmers] bogus
claims."
Edward Ramirez, another alleged victim, reportedly told Rolling Stone that
Pierce had sexually assaulted him in a walk-in closet in the bathroom in
2018 after a night out in Texas, where they shared a few drinks.
At the time of the alleged assault, Ramirez, then 21, shared his
allegations on an internet blog dedicated to celebrity pop culture named
ATRL, where he claimed Pierce "shoved me on the floor in a closet and
tried to penetrate me." Ramirez noted that he "probably would've had
consensual sex with him" had Pierce asked, but felt that getting "shoved"
and "thrown on the floor" was "uncomfortable and seemed like an abuse of
power."
Ramirez, now 27, told the outlet that he was "very confident I was clear
with my 'no's'"and declined the drag queen's advances. He also said he did
not report the incident to police because "he distrusted police
authorities in Texas as a Black queer man," according to Rolling Stone.
In response to these claims, Brettler said Ramirez and Pierce were never
alone together, providing three witness statements to dispute Ramirez's
claims.
Checri, a third man who came forward, reportedly claimed that Pierce
attempted anal penetration without his consent in November 2017. The 24-
year-old alleged that Pierce bought rounds of drinks for the group of
people they were with at a nightclub in London. They later returned to
Pierce's hotel room and Checri, then 18, alleged that he was so
intoxicated that he threw up all over the bed. While he was sick, he says,
Pierce attempted to penetrate him.
Checri also told Rolling Stone that he didnt report the alleged incident
to authorities "because of a lack of trust in the police."
In response to these allegations, Brettler asserted that Checri "pursued a
physical relationship" with Pierce and no one was visibly intoxicated, or
impaired to the point that they could not make decisions for themselves."
Brettler said Checri and Pierce "made out" fully clothed before falling
asleep but once Checri became ill, Pierce woke up and encouraged Checri to
go home, to which he obliged.
A fourth accuser named Zachary reportedly recalled a similar experience in
2015 and claimed he was awoken during a state of deep intoxication by
Pierce and another man allegedly attempting to penetrate him forcefully.
After meeting Zachary, then 23, at a meet-and-greet event in New Orleans,
the drag queen allegedly "supplied" him with drinks until he "blacked
out." When he woke up, he claimed he "heard Shangela say, Stick it in
him, and I quickly said No.'"
I am pretty sure that [the unidentified man] didnt do anything, but I
passed out again, so I am not positive," Zachary, now 32, told Rolling
Stone.
https://people.com/rupauls-drag-race-alum-shangela-accused-sexual-assault-
5-people-after-rape-lawsuit-dismissed-8610574