Daniel McGarrigle, a former production assistant on HBO’s We’re Here, filed a lawsuit against Shangela charging her with rape. McGarrigle alleges Shangela raped him in a Los Angeles hotel room after getting him drunk at the wrap party for the HBO show.
Shangela called the charges “totally untrue,” and said she was hurt and disgusted by them. She also said the allegations “perpetuate damaging stereotypes,” according to the New York Daily News. The RuPaul’s Drag Race winner said she planned fight the charges, calling the suit “meritless.”
McGarrigle said he didn’t report the rape at the time it occurred, because he was afraid of losing his job. He’s seeking unspecified damages for sexual assault, false imprisonment, gender violence and negligence.
Shangela said there was already an investigation into the claims, which found they were without merit and she called the suit a shake down.
From Paris, Texas, Shangela has been a fixture in Dallas having appeared at Black Tie Dinner and headlining last year’s Pride Music Festival. She also appeared on the cover of Out North Texas.
— David Taffet
