Lawsuit against Shangela finally dismissed after former show assistant claims rape and gender-based violence

The lawsuit against Darius Jeremy “DJ” Pierce aka Shangela was dismissed “with prejudice,” meaning it cannot be refiled

A lawsuit against Darius Jeremy “DJ” Pierce, better known as RuPaul’s Drag Race Star Shangela, was released.

On Wednesday, the former Drag racing Production assistant Daniel McGarrigle finally dropped his lawsuit against the drag star, seeking unspecified damages for alleged sexual assault, sexual harassment, gender-based violence, false imprisonment and negligence. McGarrigle had previously claimed that Pierce raped him when they both appeared on the HBO series “The Drag Queen.” Were here in 2020.

According to documents obtained by PEOPLE, the lawsuit was dismissed “with prejudice,” meaning the case cannot be refiled.

PEOPLE has reached out to Pierce’s rep for comment.

Related: ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ star Shangela is ‘disgusted’ by ‘damaging’ rape and gender-based violence allegations made by former show assistant

The drag performer had already denied the allegations in May 2023, saying in an exclusive statement to PEOPLE: “I can hardly express how hurt and disgusted I am by these completely untrue allegations. They are personally offensive and perpetuate harmful stereotypes that harm not only me, but my entire community.”

“An outside investigation into the claims made by this embittered individual previously concluded that they were completely without merit. This latest lawsuit is nothing more than an attempt to blackmail both me and a respected television company. No one should be fooled: it has no basis in fact or law and will not succeed.”

Related: Shangela reacts to Lady Gaga’s support on ‘Dancing with the Stars’: She has ‘always shown me such kindness’

A spokesperson for the series also confirmed to PEOPLE that a complaint was filed after filming. Were here, However, an internal investigation found no evidence of the alleged altercation. “Buckingham Television, the production company of ‘We’re Here,’ received a complaint in late summer 2021 about an incident that allegedly occurred in early 2020,” the spokesperson said.

“Buckingham and HBO take the safety and well-being of our show staff very seriously, and Buckingham immediately launched an investigation. The investigation concluded there was insufficient evidence to support these allegations.”

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to Rainn.org.

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