RuPaul’s Drag Race has donated $5,000 to The Trevor Project after contestant Sherry Pie was disqualified following allegations of catfishing.
At least five actors had come forward, accusing Sherry Pie, aka Joey Gugliemelli, of duping them into creating humiliating, inappropriate audition videos. The 27-year-old, New York-based queen posed under the guise of a female casting director named Allison Mossie.
Via e-mail, Gugliemelli claimed to be casting for a theater company he did not work for, seeking talent for productions that did not exist. The audition videos were sexually explicit and degrading in nature.
Though Gugliemlli issued an apology for his behavior in a Facebook post last week, VH1 and World of Wonder agreed to disqualify him from the competition and ban him from the season finale scheduled to film this spring.
Sherry Pie continues to compete
Despite being eliminated before her initial debut, showrunners revealed that Sherry Pie would still appear in each episode, out of respect for the other contestants and the hard work that they put into their show appearances.
For the second week in a row, the disgraced queen won the main challenge, taking home an accompanying $5,000 cash tip.
Outside of her win, the rest of Sherry Pie’s appearance in the episode was minimal. She was not featured in any confessionals, and her screentime was limited.
Additionally, in response to the win, the following statement appeared via title card in the final moments of season 12, episode 3: “This episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race was filmed in 2019. In light of recent developments, VH1 and World of Wonder have donated $5,000 to The Trevor Project.”
The significance of the donation amount matched Sherry Pie’s prize money.
The Trevor Project
The Trevor Project offers round-the-clock support from trained counselors for young LGBTQ individuals who are in crisis or experiencing suicidal ideations. The not-for-profit organization offers guidance and services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning youth under 25, increasing communication, awareness, and understanding within the community.
The organization promises safe, judgment-free communication via phone, text, or live chat. Additionally, it offers resources to parents and educators to foster acceptance and inclusion for all.
The project started as a response to the 1994 Academy Award-winning short film, Trevor, about a homosexual teenager who is bullied and rejected because of his sexuality, and attempts to take his own life.
To answer the same potential issues the film’s young viewing audience may be facing, The Trevor Project was founded in 1998.
Find out more at www.thetrevorproject.org.
RuPaul’s Drag Race airs Fridays at 8/7c on VH1.