Shangela

Shangela, born Chantaize Darius Jeremy Pierce on November 22, 1981, is an American drag performer, actor, television personality, and producer. She gained widespread public recognition through her multiple appearances on the reality competition show RuPaul's Drag Race and its various spin-offs, as well as her co-hosting role on the HBO unscripted series We're Here. In addition to her television work, she has acted in feature films, released original music, and performed in national stage tours.

Pierce was born in Lamar County, Texas, and was raised in Paris, Texas. His mother worked for the United States Army and traveled frequently, while his parents separated during his early childhood, after which his father returned to Saudi Arabia. Pierce was raised by his mother and her Southern Baptist family, with his grandfather serving as a primary father figure until his death in 2000. While attending high school, Pierce participated in cheerleading and first experimented with drag during an English class assignment. He later earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Southern Methodist University.

Pierce developed the drag persona Shangela in January 2009 in Los Angeles, taking the stage for the first time after stepping into a sober charity performance. Mentored by drag mother Alyssa Edwards, Shangela won the inaugural California Entertainer of the Year pageant in 2010. Shortly after, she joined the second season of RuPaul's Drag Race, where she was the first contestant eliminated. She returned to compete on season three, finishing in sixth place, and later returned for season three of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, where she tied for third place. She also appeared in the RuPaul's Drag Race Holi-slay Spectacular special.

Following her reality television appearances, Shangela acted in several television series, including Community, Glee, 2 Broke Girls, Bones, The X-Files, and Broad City. Her film credits include the comedy Hurricane Bianca, its sequel Hurricane Bianca: From Russia with Hate, and the 2018 musical drama A Star Is Born. Representing A Star Is Born at the 91st Academy Awards, she became the first drag queen to walk the Oscars red carpet in drag. Between 2020 and 2024, she co-hosted the critically acclaimed HBO series We're Here, traveling across small-town America to organize local drag events. In 2022, she competed on season thirty-one of Dancing with the Stars, placing fourth.

Shangela founded the talent management agency Say What Entertainment in 2014 and served as creative director and performer for the Werq the World tour. She has released several singles, including "Call Me Laquifa" and "Werqin' Girl," and was featured on Ariana Grande's track "NASA." Pierce has also participated in various public health initiatives, such as HIV/AIDS fundraising, tobacco-prevention campaigns, and establishing the Feed the Queens initiative in 2020 to assist drag performers affected by pandemic shutdowns.

Pierce resides in Los Angeles. In May 2023, he was named in a civil lawsuit alleging sexual assault, which was subsequently settled and dropped in early 2024. Another civil lawsuit alleging sexual assault was filed against Pierce in February 2025 and remains pending.