Shangela Laquifa Wadley | |
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![]() Shangela at RuPaul's DragCon NYC, 2017 | |
Born | Chantaize Darius Jeremy Pierce November 22, 1981[1][2] Lamar County, Texas, U.S.[2] |
Other names | D.J. Pierce |
Education | Southern Methodist University (BA) |
Occupations |
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Known for | |
Website | shangela |
Chantaize Darius Jeremy Pierce,[3] better known by the stage name Shangela Laquifa Wadley or simply as Shangela (born November 22, 1981),[4] is an American drag queen, reality television personality, and actor best known for competing on RuPaul's Drag Race. Shangela was the first contestant eliminated in season two, and returned as a surprise contestant in the series' third season, placing sixth. She returned once again for the third season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars where she finished in joint-third/fourth place alongside winner of the first season, BeBe Zahara Benet. Shangela has also made several television appearances and regularly performs across the United States and Canada.[5]
After Drag Race, Shangela appeared in numerous television series, including Community (2011), 2 Broke Girls (2012), Glee (2012), Bones (2014), The X-Files (2016), and Broad City (2019). She also appeared in the comedy film Hurricane Bianca (2016), its sequel Hurricane Bianca: From Russia with Hate (2018), and the musical drama film A Star is Born (2018). In 2019, representing A Star Is Born at the 91st Academy Awards, she became the first drag queen to walk the Oscars red carpet in drag.[6] Since 2020, Shangela has co-hosted the HBO reality series We're Here, alongside fellow Drag Race contestants Bob the Drag Queen and Eureka O'Hara.[7] The series has received acclaim from critics.[8][9]
On May 3, 2023, Pierce was accused of rape in a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court. A former production assistant on Pierce's show We're Here accused Pierce of supplying him with alcohol and assaulting him.[10] On March 18, 2024, a Rolling Stone article was published that details five more alleged cases of sexual assault, spanning from 2012 to 2018.[11]
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