Dancing With the Stars, Drag Race queen Shangela slams We're Here assistant's 'meritless' rape allegation

Dancing With the Stars finalist, A Star Is Born actor, and RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 3 runner-up Shangela has addressed multiple allegations — including one instance of reported rape — outlined in a new lawsuit filed by Daniel McGarrigle, a former assistant who worked on the drag performer and actor's Emmy-winning HBO docuseries We're Here.

McGarrigle, 39, filed the suit in Los Angeles County against 42-year-old Shangela — legally known by the name Darius Jeremy "DJ" Pierce — and Buckingham Television, which employed McGarrigle to assist Pierce and serve as his driver during production of We're Here season 1 in 2019. His claim — shared months after he first accused Shangela of sexual assault in a since-deleted social media post — alleges sexual assault, gender violence, violation of the Ralph Civil Rights Act of 1976, false imprisonment, negligence, sexual harassment, and Buckingham's alleged failure to prevent sexual harassment.

The suit alleges that Shangela raped McGarrigle in February 2020, after production wrapped on We're Here's "Ruston, Louisiana" episode. He recalls that the cast and crew celebrated with a party at the town's El Toro restaurant, where "Pierce was heavily flirtatious with McGarrigle and insisted on buying him drinks," according to court documents obtained by PEOPLE and EW.

McGarrigle claims that Pierce asked him to come back to his hotel to help him pack for a flight, though the latter became ill, prompting Pierce to suggest that he stay in his hotel room and lie down in his bed.

McGarrigle alleges that he "woke up to a cold liquid being poured down the side of his face," which he claims were the popular sex drug known as "poppers," and then "felt Pierce on the lower half of his body, rubbing his penis against his buttocks, attempting to insert himself into his anus." McGarrigle says he attempted to resist and that he did not immediately report the incident out of fear of losing his job, and "tried to maintain a cordial relationship with Pierce" until he resigned from the show in July 2021.

McGarrigle's complaint seeks punitive damagers, "civil penalties allowable by law," attorney fees, and court costs.

In a statement to EW, Pierce said he was "disgusted" by the "totally untrue allegations" and that he intends to defend himself.

"They are personally offensive and perpetuate damaging stereotypes that are harmful not only to me but also to my entire community," the statement reads. "An external investigation into this embittered individual's claims previously concluded that they were completely without merit. This newest filing is nothing but an attempt to shake down both me and a well-regarded television company. No one should be fooled: It has no basis in fact or in law, and it will not succeed."

Pierce continued, "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. 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."

When reached for comment, a representative for We're Here pointed EW to a prior statement issued to the Los Angeles Times. Buckingham Television indicated that it received a complaint in late summer 2021 about an incident that was alleged to have occurred in early 2020, stressing that because "Buckingham and HBO take the safety and well-being of personnel on our shows very seriously," the company "immediately launched an investigation" that "concluded that there was insufficient evidence to support these allegations."

Crew for We're Here did not immediately respond to EW's request for additional comment.

We're Here — which also stars former Drag Race contestants Eureka O'Hara and season 8 winner Bob the Drag Queen — premiered in April 2020 and, across three seasons to date, has followed the queens as they travel to small towns around the country to make over various subjects while grappling with intense pushback from religious and conservative groups, including staunch opposition from town council members in St. George, Utah.

In addition to competing on Dancing With the Stars season 31, on which she placed fourth, and on three seasons of Drag Race, Shangela had a small supporting role opposite Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper in 2018's Oscar-winning film A Star Is Born, and appeared in both of Drag Race winner Bianca Del Rio's Hurricane Bianca films, on Comedy Central's Broad City, and on HBO's Lovecraft Country.

Subscribe toEW's Quick Drag podcast for recaps of RuPaul's Drag Race, including reactions with the cast, special guests, and more.

Related content:

• Shangela speaks out about Colorado Springs tragedy in Dancing With the Stars finale: Share 'more love and less hate'
• Drag Race queens face vicious hatred, clash with protestors in We're Here season 3 trailer
• Shangela calls out Dancing With the Stars host Alfonso Ribeiro for calling her Angela last week: 'Did you learn my name?'