RuPaul's Drag Race Alum Shangela Accused of Another Sexual Assault Nearly 1 Year After Last Lawsuit Was Dismissed

Chantaize Darius Jeremy Pierce, known as RuPaul's Drag Race star Shangela, is facing a new lawsuit regarding allegations of sexual assault.

On Monday, Feb. 24, Eric Poff, who goes by his adult film name Dakota Payne, filed a lawsuit against Pierce in the New York County Supreme Court. According to documents obtained by PEOPLE, Poff “gained the courage to come forward” after past allegations against Pierce were featured in the news in 2024.

The lawsuit states that the alleged incident occurred in October 2017 when Poff and Pierce got drinks while filming Hurricane Bianca in Manhattan. Poff claims that he “consumed one or two drinks” at the bar, which he believes were “‘spiked’ with a drug.” 

“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 filing claims. 

When in the hotel room, Poff allegedly woke up to find himself “bent over a bed being anally penetrated without consent” by an unknown man “with Pierce watching from the corner of the room.”

“Pierce then anally penetrated Plaintiff without his consent,” Poff alleges in the complaint. 

Because of Poff’s “semi-conscious state,” his lawyers wrote that he was unable to consent to any sexual activity with neither the unnamed man nor Pierce, who allegedly proceeded to send Poff money.

“Accordingly, Defendants violated [The Victims of Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Law] by sexually assaulting Plaintiff, which is a felony and an act motivated, at least in part, by Plaintiff’s gender,” the filing concluded.

PEOPLE has reached out to Pierce's attorney, Andrew Brettler, for comment. Though Brettler has not commented on the new lawsuit, Pierce previously denounced the rape allegations in May 2023, saying in an exclusive statement to PEOPLE: "I can't begin to explain how hurt and disgusted I am by these totally untrue allegations. They are personally offensive and perpetuate damaging stereotypes that are harmful not only to me but also to my entire community."

Poff is requesting a jury trial and to be awarded both punitive damages and compensatory damages for “pain and suffering,” as well as “pre and post-judgment interest.” 

He is also asking that Pierce pay his attorneys’ fees and “all other amounts owed to him,” along with “such other and further legal and equitable relief as may be found appropriate and as the Court may deem just or equitable.”

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The filing comes less than a year after another investigation by Rolling Stone alleged that five people claimed Pierce sexually assaulted them or attempted to have sex with them despite their inability to consent due to intoxication between 2012 and 2018.

In a letter sent to Rolling Stone at the time, Pierce's lawyer Brettler denied all accusations of sexual assault, calling them “false and unsupported by any evidence or reliable witness testimony." 

Days before the outlet released its report in March 2024, a lawsuit — in which a former Drag Race production assistant named Daniel McGarrigle accused Pierce of rape and gender violence — was dismissed “with prejudice,” according to documents obtained by PEOPLE at the time.

McGarrigle also previously alleged Pierce had raped him while they both appeared on HBO's We're Here in 2020.

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.