The latest installment of RuPaul’s Drag Race will soon reach our screens with another series of All Stars.
The newest season of the hit show is set to air on Paramount+ on Friday – but it has not always been plain-sailing for the reality show and its cast.
Over the years both contestants and judges alike have been plagued by drama, from accusations of cat-fishing to charges of domestic assault.
Just last week RuPaul’s Drag Race star Shangela, who appeared in season two and three of the show, was accused of raping a production assistant on HBO show We’re Here after drunken crew party in 2020.
The latest installment of RuPaul’s Drag Race will soon reach our screens with another series of All Stars set to air on Paramount+ on Friday
Just last week RuPaul’s Drag Race star Shangela, whose real name is Darius Jeremy Pierce, was accused of raping a production assistant on HBO show We’re Here after drunken crew party in 2020
The LA Times reported that a lawsuit was filed last Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court against the drag star, whose real name is Darius Jeremy Pierce.
Daniel McGarrigle is said to be seeking unspecified damages for sexual assault, sexual harassment, gender violence, false imprisonment and negligence.
McGarrigle, 39, also accused Pierce, 42, of violating the Ralph Act, which forbids hate violence as well as intimidation by threats of violence under California law.
Pierce has strenuously denied the accusations, and said: ‘I can’t begin to explain how hurt and disgusted I am by these totally untrue allegations.’
But it is not the first scandal to hit those associated with RuPaul’s show.
Here, FEMAIL has laid bare some of the most shocking scandals to have rocked the world of Drag Race.
RuPaul’s Drag Race star Sherry Pie forced to apologize after being accused of catfishing actors
In 2020, one RuPaul’s Drag Race star was forced to apologize after five actors came forward to accuse him of catfishing.
Sherry Pie, from New York, who was born Joey Gugliemelli, had reportedly been posing as a casting director.
It lead to several actors submitting audition tapes of themselves doing and saying degrading things – with one of the young men even agreeing to masturbate on camera as part of an audition process, according to Buzzfeed.
Five actors came forward in total, some who were his classmates at SUNY Cortland in New York, with others from a Nebraska theater company Gugliemelli worked at.
In 2020, RuPaul’s Drag Race star Sherry Pie was forced to apologize after five actors came forward to accuse him of catfishing them
Shortly after the story broke, the performer, now 31, took to Facebook to apologize for the behavior in an emotional statement.
‘This is Joey, I want to start by saying how sorry I am that I caused such trauma and pain and how horribly embarrassed and disgusted I am with myself.
‘I know that the pain and hurt that I have caused will never go away and I know that what I did was wrong and truly cruel,’ Sherry Pie began.
‘Until being on RuPaul’s Drag Race, I never really understood how much my mental health and taking care of things meant. I learned on that show how important ‘loving yourself’ is and I don’t think I have ever loved myself,’ he added.
Shortly after the story broke, the performer, now 31, took to Facebook to apologize for her behavior in an emotional statement
The native New Yorker (pictured in 2020) was subsequently disqualified, after filming for the season had already been completed
‘I have been seeking help and receiving treatment since coming back to NYC. I truly apologize to everyone I have hurt with my actions. I also want to say how sorry I am to my sisters of season 12 and honestly the whole network and production company.
‘All I can do is change the behavior and that starts with me and doing that work,’ he concluded.
The native New Yorker was subsequently disqualified after filming for the twelfth season had already been completed.
He was also banned from both the reunion and the finale where he was supposed to compete for the crown as part of the top four.
The production company also took steps to minimize his screen time, as well as including a disclaimer before each episode that explained his disqualification.
Former RuPaul’s Drag Race star Widow Von’Du arrested over claims he beat his boyfriend unconscious
Ray Fry, performing under the stage name Widow Von’Du, competed on the twelfth season of RuPaul’s Drag Race.
His drag alter-ego finished in seventh place – and, following the show, he self-released an album titled The.
But, in 2021, Fry was arrested in Kansas City and booked into the Jackson County jail on three counts of domestic assault and a fourth count of attempted domestic assault, all felonies.
Ray Fry, performing under the stage name Widow Von’Du, competed on the twelfth season of RuPaul’s Drag Race
In 2021, Fry was arrested in Kansas City
Fry is said to have flow into a rage after returning home to discover his unnamed partner sleeping in his apartment without asking permission beforehand.
The alleged domestic abuser was released after posting $5,000 bond and placed under house arrest as well as being barred from contacting the victim or any witnesses.
According to a probable cause affidavit, which was first obtained by TMZ, Fry came home and allegedly flew into an alcohol-fueled rage after discovering his boyfriend sleeping in the performer’s apartment.
But his boyfriend told police he had let Fry know in advance that he was going to spend the night.
According to the victim, an intoxicated Fry, who once described himself as weighing 290lbs, punched his partner in the face up to five times, strangled him, dragged him across the floor and shoved him head first into the bed frame, rendering him unconscious and bleeding profusely.
He claimed that once he regained consciousness, he was able to escape and make his way to a hospital, where he ended up getting 14 stitches to close the wounds on his face and head.
Fry’s drag alter-ego finished in seventh place – and, following the show, self-released an album titled The
After officers from the Kansas City Police Department interviewed the victim and observed his injuries, they were said to have found probable cause to issue a warrant for Fry’s arrest.
After Fry was taken into custody, he partially denied his boyfriend’s claims.
But the TV personality allegedly admitted to saying in an Instagram Live video, which has since been deleted: ‘Some white boy tried me and got his a** beat.’
RuPaul himself sparks controversy with scathing comments about transgender drag queens
The famed actor, author, musician and host faced ferocious backlash following an interview with The Guardian in 2018.
He told the outlet: ‘You can identify as a woman and say you’re transitioning, but it changes once you start changing your body.
‘It takes on a different thing; it changes the whole concept of what we’re doing.
Famed actor, author, musician and host RuPaul faced ferocious backlash after sharing scathing comments about transgender drag queens
‘We’ve had some girls who’ve had some injections in the face and maybe a little bit in the butt here and there, but they haven’t transitioned.’
RuPaul added: ‘Drag loses its sense of danger and sense of irony once it’s not men doing it.’
Doubling down on his position a short time later, he took to Twitter with a post that read: ‘You can take performance enhancing drugs and still be an athlete, just not in the Olympics.’
RuPaul’s comments sparked huge controversy among fans as well as within the LGBTQ community.
Doubling down on his position a short time later, he took to Twitter with a post that only added fuel to the fire
Many accused him of turning his back on the trans community for likening gender reassignment surgery to performance enhancing drugs.
However, RuPaul eventually backed tracked by deleting the tweet and instead writing: ‘Each morning I pray to set aside everything I think I know, so I may have an open mind and a new experience.
‘I understand and regret the hurt I have caused. The trans community are heroes of our shared LGBTQ movement. You are my teachers.’
Former Drag Race judge Lucian Piane arrested at gunpoint outside an LA bank for trespassing
Music producer Lucian Piane appeared on RuPaul’s Drag Race as a guest judge from 2012 to 2016.
But, in 2019, he was arrested at gunpoint for trespassing after he refused to leave a Chase bank in Los Angeles amid struggles with his mental health.
Footage exclusively obtained by DailyMail.com at the time showed Piane willingly walking out of the bank with his hands above his head after two LA County Sheriff’s deputies pointed their weapons at him.
Music producer Lucian Piane (right) appeared on RuPaul’s Drag Race as a guest judge from 2012 to 2016
In 2019, Lucian Piane was arrested at gunpoint for trespassing after he refused to leave a Chase bank in Los Angeles amid struggles with his mental health
Footage exclusively obtained by DailyMail.com showed Piane willingly walking out of the bank with his hands above his head after two LA County Sheriff’s deputies pointed their weapons at him
He was overheard ‘bragging’ to the officers that he had been a guest judge on the popular reality show while he was being detained, a witness said.
But it was not his first brush with the law.
Piane was arrested three times in a month including for felony vandalism as well as during a citizen’s arrest for trespassing, Los Angeles Police Department records showed.
A family source told DailyMail.com at the time that they were not aware of his recent arrests but said he had been receiving treatment for mental health issues.
His Twitter account was also suspended after a series of bizarre tweets, calling people ‘racist f*****ts’ as well as asking if it was okay to ‘call Beyonce the N-word.’
The now 42-year-old, also known as RevoLucian, has enjoyed an illustrious career having worked on soundtracks for the film Hairspray as well as albums for musicians, including RuPaul.
Drag Race star Tatianna arrested for disorderly conduct after she ‘used staff-only door at nightclub’
Drag queen Tatianna, born Joey Santolini, was arrested in Atlanta in 2019, after causing a disturbance at a nightclub, as first reported by TMZ.
Police sources told the website that Tatianna had been outside the club when she was approached by a member of staff, who snapped her picture, then went back inside through a staff only door.
Tatianna followed, but was asked to leave and use the main door.
Longtime fans of RuPaul’s Drag Race will remember Tatianna from season two in 2010, in which she was a fan favorite
Tatianna, born Joey Santolini, was arrested in Atlanta in 2019, after causing a disturbance at a nightclub, as first reported by TMZ
The officers apparently asked Tatianna to leave the building, and after she refused she was placed in handcuffs and arrested
When she ignored the request, police were called. The officers asked Tatianna to leave the building, and after she refused she was placed in handcuffs and arrested.
Longtime fans of RuPaul’s Drag Race will remember Tatianna from season two in 2010, in which she was a fan favorite.
Known for her youth – she was just 21 at the time – she came fourth in the season.
The performer has been a regular on the celebrity circuit and even appeared in Taylor Swift’s video for You Need To Calm Down.
RuPaul’s Drag Race winner Tyra Sanchez arrested and charged with vandalism
RuPaul’s Drag Race champ Tyra Sanchez, real name James William Ross, was arrested in 2020 on charges of vandalism.
Ross, who is now said to have retired his drag act, was taken to Fulton County Jail in Atlanta.
A spokesperson for the Atlanta Police Department said at the time they responded to a vandalism call at an apartment complex, where someone had spray-painted the words ‘do not move here’ across the building, PEOPLE reported.
RuPaul’s Drag Race winner Tyra Sanchez is arrested and charged with vandalism (pictured in 2013)
Ross was identified as the suspect by police officers and charged with criminal damage to the property, per the report.
TMZ said that Ross was living in the building that he allegedly tagged with graffiti and had reportedly not paid his rent in months.
The reality star won season two of RuPaul Drag Race in 2010, but has since distanced himself from his alter ego Tyra.
Ross, real name James William Ross, has since announced that he was retiring from his drag act, according to a report by Instinct Magazine
Ross has since announced that he was retiring from his drag act, according to a report by Instinct Magazine.
In a now-deleted post, Ross reportedly stated that he has ‘outgrown the desire to dress up’ adding that he ‘wants muscles, no more shaving my face, I want to look like ZADDY!’
He also said: ‘MY NAME IS JAMES OR JAY. NOT TYRA, SHE, MA’AM, OR QUEEN.’
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Read more at DailyMail.co.uk