Former "RuPaul's Drag Race" contestant Shangela will have to wait a while longer for a judge to decide whether most claims in a man's lawsuit accusing him of rape in 2020 in Louisiana should be dismissed.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge William F. Fahey heard arguments Thursday on a motion by Shangela's attorneys to toss causes of action against their client for sexual assault, gender violence, civil rights violations, false imprisonment and negligence. Shangela's lawyers maintain all five claims are barred by the statute of limitations in both California and in Louisiana.
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The judge took the case under submission. The suit also alleges sexual harassment and failure to prevent sexual harassment.
The plaintiff alleges he was working as a production assistant in February 2020 during filming of the first season of Shangela's HBO show "We're Here" when Shangela sexually assaulted him in a Monroe, Louisiana hotel room subsequent to an after-work party.
The plaintiff, 39, seeks unspecified damages from the 41-year-old Shangela, whose real name is Chantaize Darius Jeremy Pierce, and the show's production company, Buckingham Television Inc.
"Fearful of losing his job, plaintiff did not immediately report the sexual assault to the authorities or to Buckingham TV," the lawsuit filed May 2 states. "Instead, he tried to maintain a cordial relationship with Pierce, without changing the way he interacted or communicated with him."
In their court papers, Buckingham Television attorneys also cite the statute of limitations as a defense and maintain the entire suit should be dismissed.
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