It looks like Shangela (AKA Darius Jeremy “DJ” Pierce) no longer has to worry about the sexual assault lawsuit against her. The case has been quietly resolved behind closed doors.
If you’ve been following Shangela’s story, then you know that over the last year, she went from being one of the most successful alumni of RuPaul’s Drag Race to being completely discredited when a former production assistant from HBO’s We’re Here sued her and accused her of rape. Now, the man behind the lawsuit has agreed to dismiss the whole thing. Radar Online reported all of the details.
Dismissed with prejudice
In the original lawsuit, the production assistant named Daniel McGarrigle claimed that after a 2020 wrap party for We’re Here, Shangela invited him to her hotel room. Allegedly, Shangela asked him to stay the night. When he fell asleep, he woke up to being sexually assaulted. Daniel said he told her to stop, but she overpowered him and refused to stop.
The incident wasn’t reported to production until 2021. Daniel claimed he felt afraid of being fired. When the lawsuit came to light, Shangela vehemently denied the accusations. She called the lawsuit “meritless” and felt that Daniel was pushing dangerous stereotypes.
“I can’t begin to explain how hurt and disgusted I am by these totally untrue allegations,” Shangela said last year. “They are personally offensive and perpetuate damaging stereotypes that are harmful not only to me but also to my entire community.”
HBO also investigated the claims internally, but they were unable to find sufficient evidence to support the allegations. Regardless, they moved forward with completely recasting We’re Here and distanced themselves from Shangela.
In new court documents, it seems that Daniel and Shangela attended a mediation session and have reached an agreement in the lawsuit. Daniel said he would file to dismiss the lawsuit by March 1, 2024. It’s being dismissed with prejudice, meaning he can’t come back and refile the lawsuit at a later time. This case is over for good. Whether or not Shangela can win in the court of public opinion remains to be seen.
TELL US – DO YOU THINK SHANGELA WILL BOUNCE BACK FROM THIS LAWSUIT? ARE YOU SURPRISED THE CASE IS BEING DISMISSED?
