Shangela, star of They were hereis denying rape allegations after a former production assistant on the HBO series filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court on Wednesday.
The civil suit alleges that in February 2020, while the fifth episode of the series’ first season was being filmed, Darius Jeremy “DJ” Pierce — whose given name is Shangela — drugged and raped then-production assistant Danielle McGarrigle after a finale party. In a statement, Pierce denied the allegations, calling them “completely false.”
“They are personally offensive and perpetuate harmful stereotypes that are harmful not only to me, but to my entire community,” Pierce continued in the statement. “An external investigation into the claims of this embittered man has previously concluded that they are completely without merit. This latest submission is nothing more than an attempt to shake both me and a reputable TV company. Let no one be deceived: this has no basis in fact or law, and will not succeed.
In a separate statement, an HBO spokesperson confirmed that the show’s production company had received a complaint and that an internal investigation had been conducted and concluded. “Buckingham Television, the production company for They were here, received a complaint in late summer 2021 regarding an incident that allegedly occurred in early 2020. Buckingham and HBO take the safety and well-being of staff on our shows very seriously, and Buckingham immediately launched an investigation. The investigation concluded that there was insufficient evidence to support these allegations.
McGarrigle claims that during the two-hour party at a restaurant and bar in Ruston, Louisiana, Pierce was “very flirtatious” and treated him to several drinks before ex Drag Race the contestant suggested that McGarrigle go with him to his hotel to help him get ready for an early flight. At that point, McGarrigle was so “drunk,” according to the suit, that when they both arrived at Pierce’s hotel room, McGarrigle threw up in the toilet. At this point, the ex They were here the production assistant claimed that Pierce gave him water and suggested that he let him lie on the bed “until you feel better.”
The claim states the former They were here a production assistant then woke up in the evening to a cold liquid that “scorched his eyes and nose” that was poured over him. (It’s described as “a kind of poppers” or amyl nitrite, which McGarrigle at one point swallows as it runs down his face.) McGarrigle then claims that They were here star pulled down his pants and “overpowered” the disoriented production assistant before sexually assaulting him.
The suit calls the alleged rape an act of gender-based violence and claims McGarrigle suffered damages including “past and future medical expenses, past and future lost earnings and earning capacity, pain, suffering, emotional distress, mental anguish and embarrassment “. The former They were here the production assistant is seeking unspecified damages from Pearce and Buckingham Television “in an amount appropriate to punish and make an example of Pearce”.