Celebrity drag performer Shangela — born Darius Jeremy Pierce — is being accused of several sexual assault encounters. The high profile individual was lavishly honored by the Biden Administration and became the first person to wear drag at an event at the official vice presidential residence, the New York Post reported.
Shangela, 42, was the focus of a revealing Rolling Stone exposé this week involving five accusers alleging sexual abuse. The allegations come nearly a year after the deviant niche performer was also sued for rape, according to the news outlet.
Vice President Kamala Harris has known Shangela since at least 2019 when they posed together for a selfie when the now-VP was running for president.
Shangela praised Harris for being “a fierce ally” of the “LGBTQIA+ family,” saying, “I can for sure say I am proud to see a strong, intelligent, dedicated Black/Indian woman going after the Democratic nomination.”
Harris invited Shangela to a Pride event at the Naval Observatory in 2022. As a result, the performer became the first ever to attend the official residence in drag, People magazine reported at the time.
“I woke up today asking myself ‘Did that really just happen?’” Shangela wrote on Instagram after “laughing and sobbing” at the exposure of being invited to speak at Harris’ event.
“Last night I had the honor of becoming the first drag queen in drag to ever attend an event at the residence of the Vice President of America. …
“Me — the lil country gay kid from Paris, TX just helped introduce the highest ranking female leader ever elected in our country. And I did it standing in my truth.”
Several months later, the Biden Administration invited Shangela to the White House for the president’s ceremonial signing of The Respect for Marriage Act. During the appearance the performer dressed in drag and posed with Harris.
“What an honor to be invited to the White House by our @potus and @drbiden yesterday to witness the signing of the Respect for Marriage Act,” Shangela wrote on Instagram.
Drag queen Shangela with Vice President Kamala Harris in 2022. (Shangela/Instagram)
“The weather was chill but the emotions were warm and fuzzy … and as a drag queen whose community is specifically targeted right now, this type of inclusion meant A LOT.”
Following recent revelations regarding the sexual assault allegations against Shangela, the Vice President’s Office did not immediately return a request for comment from The Post.
Furthermore, Shangela’s attorney Andrew Brettler did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday about the accusations of sex abuse or connections to Biden and Harris.
According to Rolling Stone, Shangela, who only uses feminine pronouns while dressed in drag, has been accused of either sexually assaulting five people in the queer community, or trying to have sex with individuals after they were too intoxicated to give consent.
The alleged crimes involve male and non-binary individuals between the ages of 18 and 23. The accusations date back to 2012, The Post reported.
One of Shangela’s accusers was a teen at the time of the alleged encounter. He claimed the flamboyant performer tried to anally penetrate him after he had been prepped with alcohol and vomited all over a hotel bed, the Rolling Stone reported.
Two additional accusers said they had blacked out and later awoke and led to believe they had participated in group sex with Shangela and another man.
Brettler had reportedly denied the allegations against Shangela, saying he never had “nonconsensual sex of any kind with them, or anyone else.”
The accusers told Rolling Stone they had been reluctant to speak out due to politics involving drag shows. Nevertheless, they felt empowered after a former HBO production assistant filed a lawsuit against Shangela for rape last year.