‘Drag Race' Star Shangela Responds to Sexual Assault Lawsuit
RuPaul's Drag Race star Shangela took to social media on Tuesday to respond to a new sexual assault lawsuit filed earlier this week.
On Monday, Eric Poff, who performed under adult film pseudonym Dakota Payne, filed a civil lawsuit against the performer, whose real name is Darius Jeremy ('DJ') Pierce, in New York's Supreme Court. Poff accused Pierce of sexually assaulting him in October 2017 while filming the film Hurricane Bianca 2. Poff, a production assistant, claimed he went drinking with Pierce, who starred in the film, during a night out in New York. Poff alleged his drink was spiked, although the complaint does not specify who he felt was responsible, and that he blacked out after. Per the filing, Poff claimed that when he regained consciousness, an unknown man and Pierce sexually assaulted him in Pierce's hotel room.
More from Rolling Stone
Judge Signals Jay-Z's Defamation Claim Against Tony Buzbee Will Proceed to Trial
Michael Crichton's Estate Can Move Ahead with Lawsuit over 'The Pitt,' Judge Rules
Cardi B Scores $1.2 Million Repayment Plan From Gossip Blogger Tasha K
The complaint followed Rolling Stone's investigation last year into sexual assault allegations from five accusers against Pierce along with a separate civil lawsuit settlement.
'I started off my week super grateful for life, texted with my mom, repacked my drag bag, and just been minding my own lil gay business,' the performer posted on Instagram Tuesday. 'Then here comes some BS.
'Being falsely accused in the most heinous ways is very difficult to endure. I'm advised to stay silent, and I'm doing my best to continue on without engaging in a back and forth with dishonest people seeking money or a moment. 'It's not worth it,' I tell myself,' continued Pierce. 'Even though NONE of these false claims have ever prevailed against me… my career, my character and even my family have suffered.'
In another slide, Pierce wrote, 'Their goal is to characterize a successful Black, gay drag queen as a threat. But my goal is to never let evil win. I will continue to fight back with the truth, and with time, I know the truth will prevail.'
Pierce's attorney, Andrew Brettler, did not immediately reply to a request for comment, but Pierce has consistently denied any accusations of sexual misconduct.
Poff has publicly discussed his allegations in the past on social media. In March, he posted an Instagram story with a link to Rolling Stone's investigation, stating, 'Maybe I should share my story too…' He shared an Instagram video six months later, claiming he had run into Pierce at a restaurant in West Hollywood and confronted them about the allegations.
'If he's looking to blame someone, he should start by looking at his own behavior over the years,' Poff said in a statement following Pierce's post. 'It is his actions that have led him to this day. This is about one thing and one thing only: justice for survivors and shedding light on sexual violence in our community.'
Best of Rolling Stone
Every Super Bowl Halftime Show, Ranked From Worst to Best
The United States of Weed
Gaming Levels Up
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
5 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Lip Reader Reveals How Nervous Kylie Jenner Was During Timothée Chalamet Red Carpet Debut
Kylie Jenner and Timothée Chalamet made their official red carpet debut at the 2025 David di Donatello Awards back in May, and apparently Kylie was nervous. Lip reader @tismejackieg went ahead and analyzed Kylie and Timothée's conversation on the carpet, and it's very sweet. First, Kylie says "I'm scary," as she follows Timmy to the carpet. He then tells her "you're good" and they start posing for pics—before Kylie says "it's too much" and begins to walk away. At that point, Timothée grabs her hand and says "don't go, hold on, that was great, come here," as they pose for more photos and Kylie responds "mmkay, love you." I View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jackie G (@tismejackieg) A source told Us Weekly of the red carpet moment that "Kylie's really happy and relieved they finally made their debut. It was time and she wanted to publicly support him and show how proud of him she is. She and Timothée have gotten really serious, and this was a big step. Everything is going really well. She's proud to stand by him and felt like it was the right time to share that part of their relationship. They are in a really good place. He makes her feel calm and confident and it is a different relationship from what she has had in the past." The insider also revealed that "They are practically living together at this point, as he stays at her house often when he is not working. He has been fully integrated into her life." You Might Also Like Here's What NOT to Wear to a Wedding Meet the Laziest, Easiest Acne Routine You'll Ever Try
Yahoo
7 minutes ago
- Yahoo
BET Awards: Jamie Foxx Tearfully Thanks God for Giving Him a 'Second Chance' After Health Scare
Jamie Foxx got emotional while accepting the Ultimate Icon Award at the 2025 BET Awards on Monday night. The actor-comedian-singer struggled to hold back tears during his speech as he thanked God for giving him a 'second chance' following his health emergency in April 2023. He revealed in his Netflix special, Jamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was…, that he had suffered a brain bleed that led to a stroke. More from The Hollywood Reporter Jonathan Mayers, Concert Promoter and Bonnaroo Co-Founder, Dies at 51 Doechii Calls Out Trump's "Ruthless Attacks" Amid L.A. Protests in BET Speech: "What Type of Government Is That?" Thank You, Sly Stone 'I cannot even begin to express the love that I feel from everybody out there,' Foxx began after accepting the award. 'I gotta be honest, when I saw the In Memoriam, I was like, man, it could have been me. I don't know why I went through what I went through, but I know my second chance, I'm not gonna turn down.' 'I have so much love to give. I told him [God], I said, man, just give me one more crack at this,' Foxx continued as his eyes filled with tears. 'I said, for whatever reason you put this on me, I promise I'm gonna do right. And I'm gonna do right in front of y'all 'cause I know a lot of times when we get on, we forget about where we come from. When I did my special, it was in front of Black people. Black people were the ones that said, man, we got you. Not to say that white people can't pray either. I know that sounds weird, but y'all know what I'm saying. It's like you guys held me down, and I don't want to make this whole speech about that, but you can't go through something like that and not testify.' The Oscar-winning actor also showed his appreciation for his daughters, Corinne and Anelise, for helping him through his tough recovery and making 'sure I was here.' Prior to his Netflix special, Foxx shared few details about an undisclosed medical complication in April 2023 that left him hospitalized. He then disappeared from the spotlight for six months to focus on recovery. Elsewhere during his speech, Foxx also thanked BET 'for this wonderful award.' He added, 'I say this all the time, thank you to Black people and the Black award, because this is what really counts. A lot of people think like the Oscars is the biggest thing, and we got to quit thinking like that. And that's coming from a person who won an Oscar, I was nominated twice, but the Icon Award is the most important award because it comes from us.' The 25th BET Awards, hosted by Kevin Hart, were held at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles Monday night. Check out the full winners list and the night's red carpet arrivals here. Best of The Hollywood Reporter Most Anticipated Concert Tours of 2025: Beyoncé, Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar & SZA, Sabrina Carpenter and More Hollywood's Most Notable Deaths of 2025 Hollywood's Highest-Profile Harris Endorsements: Taylor Swift, George Clooney, Bruce Springsteen and More
Yahoo
7 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Tyler Perry Calls Out Hollywood Studios at BET Awards: 'This Is Not the Time to Be Silent'
Tyler Perry threw some subtle shade towards Hollywood studios at the 2025 BET Awards. Before Ledisi took the stage to perform 'BLKWMN,' the Sistas creator took time to share a short story about himself and his son walking along the beach, when his child said to him, 'I'm walking in your footsteps,' to which he responded, 'I said, 'No, let's walk together.' We walked to the end of the beach and then he looked back and he saw all the footprints that he had left.' More from The Hollywood Reporter SHINee's Key on K-pop Stardom After 30 and Reuniting with U.S. Fans BET Awards: Jamie Foxx Tearfully Thanks God for Giving Him a "Second Chance" After Health Scare Jonathan Mayers, Concert Promoter and Bonnaroo Co-Founder, Dies at 51 'I say that to you tonight because I wanna talk to you about this thing that is happening in this country and I want you to pay attention to it. Don't miss this,' Perry said. 'They are removing our books from libraries, they are removing our stories and our history, they are removing our names from government buildings. It's as if someone wants to erase our footprints.' The mogul added, 'But the truth of the matter, it's impossible to erase our footprints because we left them on water. What I mean by that is, we were snatched from our homeland, brought across the ocean and left footprints all the way to America.' Perry asserted that 'this is not the time to be silent, this is not the time to give up — this is the time to dig in and keep leaving footprints everywhere you go.' The Madea's Family Reunion writer then called out studios in Los Angeles. 'I can tell you this, I have made more Black millionaires, hear me when I say this, than any studio in this city combined,' he said. 'Because I'm making footprints. So I don't care if you're struggling, if you're trying to make it, you're trying to build a business, if you have a dream, keep making footprints. Don't let anybody stop you, you can do it.' Earlier in his speech, Perry also thanked Black women for supporting his work over the years. 'I think about my incredible audience who's a lot of men, a lot of women, but hear me when I tell you this, Black women have held me down and I appreciate you like you would not believe,' he added. Heading into Monday night, Kendrick Lamar topped the nomination list with 10 nods, with Doechii, Future, GloRilla, Future and Drake following close behind with six noms each. The 'Yeah Glo!' rapper, too, served as one of the night's performers alongside Lil Wayne, Teyana Taylor, Playboi Carti and Leon Thomas. Kevin Hart hosted the 2025 BET Awards at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. On Sunday, a BET spokesperson confirmed that the ceremony would go ahead as planned despite the ongoing protests against unlawful immigration raids in L.A. Best of The Hollywood Reporter 'The Studio': 30 Famous Faces Who Play (a Version of) Themselves in the Hollywood-Based Series 22 of the Most Shocking Character Deaths in Television History A 'Star Wars' Timeline: All the Movies and TV Shows in the Franchise