What Is Going On With Shangela?

Shangela may have been a fan favorite on RuPaul’s Drag Race, but now she’s facing sexual assault allegations. In a new piece from The Rolling Stone, five separate individuals allege that Pierce either sexually assaulted them or attempted to have sex with them when they could not consent.

**Mentions of sexual assault and non-consenting situations lie ahead.**

Darius Jeremy Pierce (Shangela’s real name) was accused of sexually assaulting a production assistant named Daniel McGarrigle on the show We’re Here after buying the PA multiple drinks. From there, a series of other individuals who had similar situations to McGarrigle began realizing that their encounter with Pierce was not unique. Revealing their stories to Rolling Stone, the five individuals all shared their time with Pierce and there were similarities in many of their claims.

The report includes quotes from each of the victims, talking about their time with Pierce and how many of them started their connection with Pierce as either fans or people who thought they’d found a friend. For each accusation, Pierce and his lawyer has claimed that it isn’t true, that it was a consenting relationship, or in one case, that Pierce never even met one of the alleged victims.

What is the most upsetting about this news is that many of the victims felt like they could not go to the police to tell them what Pierce did in fear of not being believed because of their queer identity or they did not want to come out with the story because of the anti-drag and anti-trans legislation that is happening in our country. But through all five of the victims telling their story to Rolling Stone, we can see how Pierce allegedly used them and assaulted each of them when they were younger.

A similar story

Five different people told Rolling Stone similar stories of Pierce giving them too much alcohol, taking them to a private area, and either sexually assaulting them on his own or bringing in an unidentified man to also participate. A few of the victims even alleged that they “blacked out” or were too drunk and intoxicated to consent to any kind of sexual intercourse with Pierce.

Even a former assistant of Pierce came forward saying that he witnessed how Pierce would drink with younger people, but for every claim, Pierce and his lawyer would say that it wasn’t true. Pierce denied these claims, and with his lawyer even claiming the assistant who spoke up was just seeking attention. The entire investigation is heartbreaking to read, as some of the victims stated their love for Shangela and their excitement at spending time with Pierce, only to allegedly be sexually assaulted as a result.

(featured image: Amy Sussman/Getty Images)