Drag star Shangela accused of sexual assault in new lawsuit

Another accuser has filed a civil lawsuit against celebrity drag entertainer Shangela.

Out has obtained the complaint filed Monday morning in the New York Supreme Court. A man named Eric Poff alleges that he met Shangela, whose real name is Chantaize Darius Jeremy Pierce, when he was working as a production assistant on the set of Hurricane Bianca: From Russia With Hate in New York City.

In the complaint filed against Pierce alongside an unnamed John Doe, Poff states that he went to a bar with Pierce in Manhattan in October 2017 where he "consumed one or two drinks." According to the complaint, Poff believes his drink was "spiked" with a drug during the night.

"Plaintiff has this information and belief because he has no memory of events between consuming the drink and becoming semi-conscious in a hotel room," the complaint reads. "After Plaintiff started to fade into consciousness, he was bent over a bed being anally penetrated without consent by John Doe with Pierce watching from the corner of the room. Pierce then anally penetrated Plaintiff without his consent."

According to his lawyer, James A. Vagnini, Poff does not know the identity of the John Doe defendant.

"Defendants could not obtain Plaintiff’s consent given his semi-conscious state," the complaint goes on to allege. "After the sexual assault, Pierce sent Plaintiff money via PayPal."

Poff is seeking compensatory damages for pain and suffering as well as punitive damages, pre- and post-judgment interest, and attorneys’ fees and costs associated with this matter.

“Sexual assault is a particularly taboo subject in the LGBTQ community and protecting celebrities who are accused is far too common, but we cannot ignore the experiences of survivors or allow violence to continue unanswered," Poff said in a written statement. "I join with other survivors in coming forward and telling my story. My hope is to hold accountable DJ Pierce/Shangela, shed light on the impact of sexual assault on those who experience it and shift attitudes in what can be a toxic culture of victim blaming and shaming. Sexual assault is assault, no matter the sexual orientation of those involved, and survivors in the LGBTQ community deserve the equal justice as much as anyone who is subject to this kind of violence."

At least five people have publicly accused Shangela of sexual assault, detailed in a 2024 report by Rolling Stone. Poff's story has similarities to the stories of the other alleged victims. Vagnini also tells Out that he's made contact with another victim in Texas with "an almost strikingly identical" story, who Pierce met while filming the original Hurricane Bianca.

"Due to these brave individuals coming forward with their allegations of sexual assault by Pierce, Plaintiff gained the courage to come forward as well with this action," the complaint reads.

"I am coming forward because I have the ability and resources to do so, knowing many other victims cannot," Poff said in a second statement. "As someone who worked in adult film, I refuse to let stereotypes be used as an excuse for predatory behavior. I applaud the passing of laws like the NYC Gender Motivated Violence Law which gave me the ability to file this claim when I was strong enough to do so. I will not be deterred by the Defendant's popularity or potential backlash."

Out has confirmed that Poff's adult film name is Dakota Payne. He's originally from Waxahachie, Texas. Poff first came forward with allegations via an Instagram post in September 2024 when he recalled confronting Pierce at a bar in West Hollywood. "He looked me in the eye and he said, 'I'm sorry you feel that way.'"

Poff addressed Pierce directly in the video: "DJ, I'm sorry you feel the way that you do. I'm sorry that you are comfortable going into our crewer spaces and that every place you go into, you kind of threaten the safety of the space. I'm sorry that your name is going to be synonymous for the deeds, and all the projects you've had the opportunity of being on are going to be tarnished."

Out has reached out to Pierce and his lawyer for comment. Previously, Pierce has denied "ever engaging in nonconsensual sex" and lawyer Andrew Brettler said the prior allegations are "false and unsupported by any evidence of reliable witness testimony." Four of those previous cases were settled, and a prior lawsuit from former Drag Race production assistant Daniel McGarrigle was dismissed.

In December, Out hosted its annual Out100 celebration honoring Cynthia Erivo and Sheryl Lee Ralph; Pierce attended the event as the plus-one of an invited guest.

This story is developing...