The lawsuit against Darius Jeremy “DJ” Pierce, better known as RuPaul’s Drag Race star Shangela, was fired.
On Wednesday, the former Drag Race production assistant Daniel McGarrigle has permanently dropped his lawsuit against the drag star seeking unspecified damages for alleged sexual assault, sexual harassment, gender-based violence, false imprisonment and negligence. McGarrigle previously claimed that Pierce raped him while they were both appearing on HBO Been here in 2020
The suit was dismissed “with prejudice,” according to documents obtained by PEOPLE, meaning the suit cannot be refiled.
PEOPLE has reached out to Pierce’s rep for comment.
‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ star Shangela is ‘appalled’ by ‘harmful’ allegations of rape and gender-based violence by a former assistant on the show
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Shangela celebrates her January 2024 Governors Awards at GLAAD.
Phillip Faraone/Getty
The drag performer previously denounced the allegations in May 2023, saying in an exclusive statement to PEOPLE, “I cannot begin to explain how hurt and disgusted I am by these completely untrue allegations. They are personally offensive and perpetuate harmful stereotypes that are harmful not only to me but to the entire my community.”
“An external investigation into the claims of this outraged individual previously concluded that they were completely unfounded. This latest report is nothing more than an attempt to shake both me and a respected television company. No one should be fooled: it has no basis in either facts or law and will not succeed.”
Shangela reacts to Lady Gaga’s support in ‘Dancing with the Stars’: ‘She always showed me such kindness’
A spokesperson for the show also confirmed to PEOPLE that a complaint was filed after the taping Been here but an internal investigation found no evidence of the alleged altercation. “Buckingham Television, the production company behind ‘We’re Here’, received a complaint in late summer 2021 regarding an incident which allegedly occurred in early 2020,” a spokesperson said.
“Buckingham and HBO take the safety and well-being of staff on our shows very seriously and Buckingham has immediately launched an investigation. The investigation concluded that there was not enough evidence to support these allegations.”
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.
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Source: HIS Education