“RuPaul’s Drag Race” star Shangela, also known as Darius Jeremy Pierce, faces allegations of sexual assault in a recent exposé. Five individuals within the queer community accused the renowned drag queen of sexually assaulting them.
It has been further claimed that he tried to engage in sexual activity with them when they were too intoxicated to consent. One individual, identified as Helmer, recounted meeting Pierce at a bar in Los Angeles in 2017 when he was 20 years old.
After initial social media interactions, they agreed to meet for a late dinner, during The which Pierce allegedly bought Helmer a drink. Helmer reported to the Los Angeles Police Department in 2023 that he had no memory of the events following the drink but woke up naked in Pierce’s residence.
In the complaint, Helmer stated that when he questioned Pierce about the events of the previous night, Pierce claimed they had engaged in sexual activity with another man, to which Helmer expressed confusion and discomfort.
It took Helmer several days to realize he had been sexually assaulted, and he eventually filed a police report after discussing the incident with his roommate and current boyfriend, both of whom corroborated his account.
Pierce’s attorney, Andrew Brettler, dismissed Helmer’s allegations as “absurd” and asserted that Helmer and Pierce engaged in consensual sexual activity with a third individual they met at the bar. Brettler declined to provide further comment.
Another individual, Edward Ramirez, accused Pierce of assaulting him in 2018 when he was 21 years old, alleging that Pierce attempted to penetrate him after shoving him to the floor in a closet.