‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Contestant Disqualified After Catfishing Controversy
Sherry Pie has been accused of posing as a casting agent and requesting intimate acts from multiple men.
RuPaul’s Drag Race contestant Sherry Pie — non-drag name Joey Gugliemelli — has been officially disqualified from the long-running and beloved US reality TV show, after it was revealed Gugliemelli had catfished a number of men, requesting that they tape themselves performing “particularly sexual” scenes.
The story broke when one of the men, Ben Shimkus, took to his Facebook page to allege that Gugliemelli catfished him while posing as a casting agent named Allison Mossey. According to Shimkus’ story, Shimkus performed “awkward” and “overt[ly] sexual acts” on camera in the hope of scoring a role in a new play.
“Allison and I went through an email thread that lasted over 150 emails in about three weeks,” Shimkus’ post reads. “We covered topics of pay, living situations in the city, when I would have to leave school for rehearsals, and conversations about acting choices for the character.”
Sherry Pie has officially been disqualified from DRAG RACE. She will appear throughout the season but will not appear in the grand finale scheduled to be filmed later this Spring per @joeynolfi's reporting: https://t.co/SWkgda6LzR
— Ξvan Ross Katz (@evanrosskatz) March 6, 2020
Eventually, frustrated that these conversations appeared to be going nowhere, Shimkus reached out to the casting agency ‘Mossey’ claimed to work for, who replied that they didn’t know of anybody by that name.
Since Shimkus’ story was posted to Facebook, others have come forward, writing of similar catfishing attempts, all allegedly by Gugliemelli.
Now, Gugliemelli has taken to his Facebook page, seemingly to accept accountability for the actions and to apologise.
“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,” reads the post. “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.”
“In light of recent developments and Sherry Pie’s statement, Sherry Pie has been disqualified from RuPaul’s Drag Race….
— RuPaul’s Drag Race (@RuPaulsDragRace) March 6, 2020
…Out of respect for the hard work of the other queens, VH1 will air the season as planned.
Sherry will not appear in the grand finale scheduled to be filmed later this spring.” – spokesperson for VH1 and World of Wonder— RuPaul’s Drag Race (@RuPaulsDragRace) March 6, 2020
Sherry Pie’s season was filmed last year, and so will be released as planned, but Sherry will “not appear in the grand finale” according to a Twitter post from RuPaul’s Drag Race.