Venus Sherwood, winner of Canada’s Drag Race Season 4, has alleged she was violently detained and extorted by police in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. In a series of disturbing Instagram stories posted on Sunday, 20 April, the drag performer described a harrowing encounter that left her bruised, shocked, and seeking justice.
According to Entertainment Weekly, Venus claimed she was “abducted… handcuffed and tossed around in the back of a truck hatchback” by local authorities. She further alleged, “I was choked and kicked for an hour,” and that officers stole money and personal belongings. “They took $1,000 ($1,580 NZD) cash and my headphones and I had to pay them hundreds more dollars to get released,” she wrote. “I can’t even call the police because they’re the ones who did this.”
Physical Evidence and a Plea for Help
Screenshots of the posts, shared by EW, show visible injuries to Venus’s arm and torso. In one post, she asked followers, “Anyone have any advice on what to do and/or where to report this?” She said hotel staff refused to assist her, believing she had not paid for a taxi. “Which makes no sense because that’s why I took out cash in the first place… corruption on every level.”
Venus also posted a photo of a building, commenting, “They left me here, bleeding on the side of a dark road in the middle of the night after being handcuffed for hours while they all laughed at me.”
“I’m still in shock and not sure what to do. I’m bruised and very sore. I can’t even comprehend the [past] five hours, I’m just lucky to be alive.”
Community Support in the Aftermath
Later posts showed that staff at the Almar Resort—where she was presumed to be staying—offered her help. Venus expressed gratitude to “the amazing queer community in Puerto Vallarta” for their support during the ordeal.
Venus made history last year as the first Indigenous queen to win Canada’s Drag Race.
Her story echoes other recent attacks and harassment faced by Drag Race alumni around the world. In early April, Jasmine Kennedie reported being harassed on a New York train, and last year, Envy Peru of Drag Race Holland was assaulted in Amsterdam. The Vivienne, who passed away in January, had previously been attacked in Liverpool.
